In the countdown to Christmas, millions of punters will be heading to their local to buy a round of one pub-favourite.
At 19% ABV (alcohol by volume), Baby Guinnesses are a staple night-out shot to enjoy with friends – especially for coffee-lovers.
But what you probably didn’t know is that one of the ingredients used to create this mini Espresso Martini contains an ingredient that makes it unsuitable to millions of drinkers.
A shot of Baby Guinness is made by pouring coffee liqueur into the glass, topped by a small amount of Irish cream liqueur such as Baileys – thereby creating a small drink that mimics the look of a pint of Guinness, the pub classic sold around the world.
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Despite fears of another Guinness shortage this Christmas, it’s the Irish stout’s counterpart that could be cause for concern for many – and it’s the coffee liqueur element that could be fumbling your fun.
The method used by one of the sugar suppliers for Kahlúa, a common choice of coffee-flavoured alcohol amongst pubs in Britain, includes bone char filtration – which involves animal byproducts.
This means the drink is unsuitable for vegans and vegetarians – of which there are millions here in the UK.
Kahlúa’s parent company, Pernod Ricard, has said that one of its sugar suppliers uses bone char filtration, which decolourises and purifies the sugar.
According to YouGov research from 2022, the UK’s vegan population sits at around 2-3% while vegetarians make up around 5-7%, totalling millions of Brits.
Last year, a spokesperson for Pernod Ricard, Kahlúa’s parent company, said: ‘We can clarify that Kahlúa is not directly manufactured with any animal derivatives.
‘However, it’s important to note that a bone char filtration process, which does involve contact with animal derivatives, is employed by one of our sugar suppliers during refinement.
‘This widely accepted practice in the sugar industry currently prevents us from categorising Kahlúa as suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.’
Kahlúa added: ‘We can confirm that Kahlúa is NOT suitable for vegetarians or vegans. This is because of the sugar refinement [process].
‘It appears there was some confusion as, prior to 2016, Kahlúa was deemed suitable.
‘At this time, Kahlúa is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.’
However, if animal products are not a part of your diet, there are alternatives.
Tia Maria is a vegan-certified coffee liqueur, while Baileys Almande is vegan-friendly and 100% dairy-free – so next time you’re down the local for a few drinks with friends and fancy a Baby Guinness, be sure to ask the bartender whether they can prepare your shots with these ingredients.
Bottles of Tia Maria and Baileys Almande can also be individually purchased from shops – meaning you can still serve up your favourite shot during pre-drinks.
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