Kahlúa’s not vegetarian – what now?!

This week news got around that Kahlúa coffee liqueur – a staple for Espresso Martini, Baby Guinness, and White Russian cocktails – is not only not technically vegan, but not even vegetarian. It’s news that’s blown some minds. The same goes for popular Pernod stablemate Malibu rum liqueur, which it turns out had to create a separate vegan recipe for use in their recent high-profile Piña Oatlada collaboration with Oatly.

Kahlúa, to be fair, states on its own site that it’s “NOT acceptable for a vegan or vegetarian diet”. There are also sites such as Barnivore that do the leg work on things like this for you (lord bless the interwebs), but clearly many were still unaware. The Spirits Business’ Lauren Bowes shared the facts earlier this week, with Metro, LADbible and others subsequently sharing it to still wider audiences, many of whom were shocked. Understandable really, given that there’s nothing in the ingredients that would appear to not be vegetarian.

Why isn’t Kahlúa vegetarian?

It’s all about the sugar. Some refined cane sugars, especially in the US, use bone meal (electrically charred cattle bones) in the charcoal filtering process which makes it all sparkly and white. This isn’t the case for organic sugar in the US or for any beet sugar. It’s also not really an issue with UK sugar, although many icing sugars contain dried egg white (not an issue for vegetarians). That old bag of Tate & Lyle granulated cane sugar you keep in the cupboard for guests who inexplicably ask for sugar in their tea* is totally vegan, for example.

Eyebrow raising aside, the reasons why various people follow vegetarian or more plant-based diets may also inform how much they care about this. Even for ethical vegans who seek to exclude animal cruelty from their lives wherever possible, it’s nearly impossible to do so completely. 

Bone meal, for example, is also used as a fertiliser for growing food crops, including organic ones here in the UK. For drinks specifically, isinglass (from fish), gelatine, or egg whites are all used as fining agents for clarification in many wines and beers. It’s something of a minefield, and as a vegan myself (I know, the horror!) I’m aware that I can be lazy about such processing considerations at times. Offer me two similar IPAs where I know one uses isinglass and the other doesn’t use any animal derivatives during manufacture and it’s an easy choice, however.

Ultimately it comes down to transparency, so everyone can make their own informed choices. It’s also good to know these things before you whip up your next round of Espresso Martinis for friends (or indeed customers).

Top 10 vegan alternatives to Kahlúa

While it’s sometimes difficult to be 100% sure – indeed Kahlúa’s transparency should be applauded despite it perhaps not being the finest PR week for them – the following alternatives are to the best of our knowledge entirely vegan.

FAIR. Café

Let’s kick off with a certified vegan option, which is non-GMO and of course also Fair Trade certified. Back in 2019 it was the only coffee liqueur that year to receive a Master medal in The Spirits Business’ Liqueur Masters, praised for its “roasted hazelnut” finish.

Tia Maria

The ‘other’ classic option when it comes to coffee liqueurs is perhaps the easiest swap, as recommended by Bryan Levato of Spin & Shake in the Metro and LADbible articles above. It proudly states “Vegan Friendly” on its website, and is just about the most affordable on this list too. Tia Maria is of course a household name, and such is its ubiquity that at times they haven’t even felt the need to put “coffee” on their front label, but since their 2020 rebrand it prominently reads “Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur” (can’t have pesky upstarts monopolising the good buzzwords!)

Giffard Café du Honduras

A new release from the prolific French liqueur maker’s premium range, and another very affordable option. Giffard, founded in 1885, makes this with organic and Fair Trade Honduran Lenca coffee (a blend of catuai, caturra, tipica and bourbon Arabica varieties). The liqueur is specified as vegan on their site, just as most of their extensive offering is on Barnivore.

Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

Hailing from Australia, Mr. Black was born after the serendipitous coming together of product designer Tom Baker and award-winning master distiller Philip Moore. It’s become the premium coffee liqueur go-to, attracting acquisition by Diageo back in 2022. At Mr. Black they roast their own coffee from green beans, creating their own exacting blend. The brand website also clearly states that it’s entirely vegan: “No animal-derived products are used in the production of Mr. Black.”

St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur

This is head distiller Dave Smith’s ode to the city where he fell in love, New Orleans. Inspired by the city’s tradition of making coffee with chicory, it’s made with French chicory root, roasted and grounded Yirgacheffe coffee beans, Madagascan vanilla, and (crucially for a US product) organic cane sugar. This speciality from the trailblazing Californian craft distillers has been a favourite at MoM Towers ever since it hit these shores a little over 10 years ago. Blimey, time really flies! (It’s possibly worth mentioning here that St. George’s Bruto Americano uses cochineal [insect derived] colouring** however, something the likes of Campari no longer use.)

Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur

This one comes from Branca (as in Fernet), is made with Arabica and Robusta coffee, and is something of an Italian icon. Vegan cream liqueur brand Liquid Oats tells us that “if you are looking for a 100% true vegan White Russian opt for Caffè Borghetti or Quick Brown Fox coffee liqueurs, we recommend both as we know that they are vegan and delicious”. They also use Caffè Borghetti in their vegan Baby Guinness recipe. Elsewhere, you’ll find Borghetti used in places such as Bar Termini in Soho, and miniatures enjoyed neat on Italian football terraces!

Café Solo Original Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Brand Manager Holly Harwood hasn’t missed a beat this week in announcing that their coffee liqueur is “100% vegan”. It also recently picked up a Gold medal and was named Best English Coffee Liqueur at the World Liqueur Awards 2024. For anybody wanting Espresso Martinis at home without the means or wanting the fuss of making fresh espresso, their Solo Coffee Concentrate (“espresso strength cold brew coffee”, if that’s not a contradiction in terms?) is also potentially massively convenient.

VIVIR Café VS Coffee Liqueur

How about a Tequila coffee liqueur? (Clearly inspired by the popular but discontinued Patrón XO Cafe.***) This is made with a base of VIVIR Blanco Tequila, which is produced with responsible agave farming as a focus, employing local agave farmers and jimadors full-time with fair wages and job certainty. Obviously, VIVIR Café is a Mexican product, just like Kahlúa. Instead of refined sugar, however, it’s sweetened with Piloncillo sugar, a raw form of pure cane sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. It’s also the only bottle on this list that states “Vegan” on the front label. Naturally, Mexican Arabica coffee beans are used here.

Aluna Coconut Coffee Liqueur

“Vegan-friendly” and from a producer signed up to the ‘1% for the planet’ initiative, this coffee liqueur is made with cold brew coffee, cacao nibs, and black cardamom. Their Aluna Coconut Rum provides a distinctive base for this liqueur, which separately is a great alternative to Malibu, so they have your Piña Coladas and ‘Malibu’ & Cokes covered too.

Derw Coffee Anglesey Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Wales’ first cold brew coffee producer soon turned its hands to liqueurs as well, subtly infused with tonka beans. Another World Liqueur Awards Gold medal winner, their Arabica coffee is ethically sourced from specialty green coffee traders Falcon Coffees and can be traced back to the farmers who grew it. Their webiste states “This product is vegan”.

 

* All alright fine, a little sug sug is nice sometimes as a treat ****

** Some drinks fans hail cochineal in an aperitivo as “authentic” and “traditional”, but no bugs for me thanks

*** Yes, I know, limited quantities of Patrón XO Cafe are being brought back in the US, but nowhere else “in the foreseeable future”

**** And yes, I’m aware of the irony of this tea reference in an article entirely about coffee

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