WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE VEGAN COCKTAILS?

From neon-hued Midori sours in the 1980s to the pink-tinged cosmopolitans of the late 1990s, cocktail fads come and go just like anything else in the world. As the number of vegan consumers has grown over the past few decades, so too has the demand for vegan cocktails, a method of conscientiously concocting libations.

“Veganism is discussed primarily [with] food, so it is easy to overlook when it comes down to alcoholic beverages,” says Washington, D.C.-based mixologist and cocktail consultant Jacob Sunny.

At their core, vegan cocktails are made without animal-derived products, such as egg whites, creams, milk, honey, and other animal-based products that often find their way into craft libations. Sunny says that keeping cocktails vegan can actually be more complicated than one might assume. While most spirits, like gin, vodka, whiskey, and rum, are vegan friendly, it’s not always the case, especially in the realm of beer and wine.

“In order to call a cocktail vegan, we need to dive into the process of all the distillates and liquors used, as well as the preparation and techniques of the mixers,” says Charleston, South Carolina-based mixologist Juan Coronado. He says some distillates use filtration and clarification methods that call for egg whites, milk, membrane filters, or other filtration methods that use animal-based products, which would render the spirits in question non-vegan friendly.

Conor Bandall, a bartender at New York-based Bosco, notes that many cocktails were vegan before the term even existed. A majority of the classics are vegan without any alteration. He points to martinis and highballs as common vegan-friendly options. Others include the old fashioned, negroni, margarita, mojito, daiquiri, gin and tonic, and spritz, so long as the sparkling wine in question doesn’t use animal products.

Sticking with spirit-forward classics, as well as eschewing obvious dairy-based ingredients, is generally a safe bet to find a vegan drink. The best way to discover if an alcoholic product is vegan? Straight from the source, according to Sunny. An online search on the brand will generally do the trick.

Most bartenders cite the Ramos gin fizz, Irish coffee, White Russian, Bee’s Knees, and Bloody Mary as the most prevalent non-vegan cocktails. However, a few simple swaps can render them free of animal products. For a honey substitute, Sunny often reaches for agave or simple syrup and also finds that nut-based milk alternatives can be great swaps for animal-based milks and creams.

Jason Hedges, author of The Seasonal Cocktail, recommends aquafaba, the liquid found in cans of chickpeas, or coconut cream as an egg white and thickener substitute and soy sauce as a dupe for Worcestershire sauce, which often contains anchovies. Hedges also recommends sticking with innately vegan products, including fruits, vegetables, and herbs to keep cocktail garnishes and additions vegan friendly.

For another egg white alternative, Sunny incorporates methylcellulose, xanthan gum, and soy lecithin in his mixology regimen, noting that they can help create that sought-after foam in sours without the use of animal-based products.

At Bosco, the bar’s Mo Chara cocktail was originally designed to include clarified lime sherbet. Bandall says the team opted against the clarification process, which would have called for the use of dairy products, to keep the drink vegan. “As long as you pay attention to your ingredients and what’s being used, it’s quite simple,” Bandall says. Today, Bosco’s vegan-friendly iteration of the Mo Chara cocktail is made with whiskey, ginger liqueur, Falernum, lime sherbet, and bitters. “We simply found a different route to produce the drink.”

Julian Cox, company mixologist at Los Angeles-based APB, says making vegan cocktails is “considerably more challenging” because many liquors, amaros, and vermouths often have honey or added sweeteners that are not vegan. “It takes a lot of time to check deep into each ingredient of a drink to make sure it’s vegan.”

Cox cites the need to be creative in the cocktail creating process, specifically in the realm of finding ways to bring texture to drinks without using honey, egg whites, or milk. At APB, which stands for "a plant bar," Cox’s team found ways to make both vegan and nonalcoholic versions of the classically non-vegan Ramos gin fizz. “We use a vegan cream and house-made vegan egg whites to create a meringue,” he says, “that peeks out of the top of the glass, which signals a perfect Ramos texture.”

Hedges agrees that vegan cocktails can be more challenging to make than traditional cocktails, simply because their execution eliminates a number of common cocktail ingredients and overall, requires more presence of mind. “Some fruit juices,” he points out, “may contain additives that are derived from animal products.”

From a financial standpoint, making vegan cocktails is usually more expensive because alternative ingredients tend to be pricier. They also don’t entirely replicate the original. Sunny cites the use of aquafaba, a common egg white replacement, as a standard example. “The problem is that aquafaba is not neutral in flavor,” he says. “It has its own flavor, which can alter the flavor of the cocktail.” He notes that a blend of methylcellulose with gum arabic and xanthan gum is more neutral — and expensive.

Mixologists such as Hedges and Cox don’t see the trend going away. “Vegan cocktails are having a moment because vegan food is trending,” Cox says. “That said, most spirits don’t involve animals at all, so they are almost always naturally vegan.” Many restaurants and bars now indicate which cocktails are vegan on their menu. If you’re feeling unsure, Hedges advises asking the bartender.

Ultimately, Sunny believes that utilizing creative approaches to take every patron’s needs into consideration in order to satisfy their taste buds is key — vegan or otherwise. “We have to move ahead with time to keep our skills and craft in check with new challenges,” he adds. “There’s always a work-around when your hands are tied. That’s the true hustle of bartending.”

Vicki Denig is a New York-based writer who has contributed to Food & Wine, Decanter, Departures, Forbes, and Wine Enthusiast. Follow her on Instagram at @vickidenig.

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2023-06-23T11:09:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd