Sulfites in Alcohol: Are There Any Drinks Without Sulfites?

⏱️ TL:DR ∙ Article in 20s

Sulfites are common sulfur preservatives regularly found in wines, beers and ciders. They typically cause negative reactions like headaches, asthma, and hives by triggering a cascading histamine response. Spirits like vodka and gin have fewer sulfites than wine and beer, but new laws require "contains sulfites" labels when levels are high, Sulphites are getting easier to avoid if you know what to look for. Although all wine has some sulfites from the natural fermentation process, there's often more in dry white wines. To limit excess sulfites, check the labels of what you buy and try to pick wines under 10mg/L sulfites, or choose clear spirits over beer and wine.

What are sulphites in alcohol?
How can I find out if a drink has sulphites?
What alcoholic drinks have the most sulphites?
Why are sulphites used?

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Do you ever experience headaches, congestion, or other unpleasant reactions when drinking alcohol? If so, you may have a sensitivity to sulfites or histamines, common additives used in many alcoholic beverages. The good news is that with the right information, you can enjoy alcohol again without negative effects.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explain exactly what sulfites and histamines are, why they cause problems for some people, and most importantly, which types of alcohol you can safely drink to avoid reactions. We've done the research so you can relax and savor drinks that mesh with your body chemistry and sensitivities.

Whether you want to prevent headaches from red wine, congestion from beer, or other symptoms, we have the tips and recommendations you need to raise a glass without worry. Let's get started on determining your ideal alcohol-without-histamine cocktail!

What Are Sulfites In Alcohol?

Sulfites in alcohol - also known as sulphites - are sulfur dioxide compounds that occur naturally in certain ingredients used to make alcoholic drinks. Sulfites help "prevent the growth of the bacteria that make the drink go cloudy and literally turn the alcohol to vinegar."

Many people believe sulphites added to drinks like wine and beer causes headaches. While there are some studies that disprove this, many people still want to avoid excessive sulfites when they can.

In more serious situations, sulfites can cause allergy-like reactions or intolerances. Common symptoms include:

wheezing, tightness in the chest (more likely in those with asthma)
hay fever symptoms
hives
anaphylaxis (rare cases, the most severe type of allergic reaction)

Now that you have a better understanding of what it is, you probably want to know if your favorite alcoholic beverages have sulfite in them. Does vodka have sulfites? Does tequila have sulfites? Does whiskey have sulfites? Does beer have sulfites?

Below, we'll let you see for yourself with a handy chart.

Does Vodka, Tequila, Beer, or Whiskey Have Sulfites?

The bad news is that alcoholic beverages with sulfites can cause an allergic reaction. The good news? You can find alcohol without sulfites!

Below is a comprehensive list of different alcoholic drinks, their brands and whether they contain sulfites or not. It's important to note that labeling laws are different in each country. Some places have to have "sulfites included" if they surpass a certain percentage.

While many of the beers, lagers, and ales listed below are shown as "not containing sulfites" this means that there are no added sulfites included on the label. It's a good rule of thumb that beer does naturally include sulfites, but not enough to be included on the label like other drinks.

Drink Name	Brand	Drink Type	Common Size	Alcohol percentage	Contains Sulphites?	Sulphite Level
Absolut Vodka	Absolut	Vodka	70 cl	40%	No
Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider	Angry Orchard	Cider	500 ml	5%	Yes	The level of sulphites in Angry Orchard ciders is about equal to that found in an average glass of red wine, and a bit less than an average glass of white wine.
Aviation Gin	Aviation Gin	Gin	70 cl	42%	No
Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum	Bacardi	Rum	70 cl	37.50%	No
Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur	Baileys	Liqueur	70 cl	17%	No
Balvenie 12 Year Old American Oak Whisky	Balvenie	Whisky	70 cl	43%	No
Barefoot Shiraz Wine	Barefoot	Red Wine	75 cl	13.50%	Yes
Barefoot Chardonnay Wine	Barefoot	White Wine	75 cl	13.50%	Yes
Beck's Lager	Beck's	Lager	275 ml	4.80%	No
Birra Moretti Premium Lager	Birra Moretti	Lager	33 cl	4.60%	No
Blue Moon Belgian White	Blue Moon	Ale	330 ml	5.40%	No
Bombay Sapphire Gin	Bombay Sapphire	Gin	70 cl	40%	No
Brewdog Punk IPA	Brewdog	IPA	33 cl	5.60%	No
Bud Light Seltzer	Bud Light	Seltzer	12 fl oz	5%	No
Bud Light Premium Lager	Budweiser	Lager	30 cl	3.50%	No
Budweiser Premium Lager	Budweiser	Lager	33 cl	4.50%	No
Busch Beer	Busch	Lager	32 fl oz	4.30%	No
Captain Morgan Spiced Gold Rum	Captain Morgan	Rum	70 cl	40%	No
Captain Morgan White Rum	Captain Morgan	Rum	70 cl	40%	No
Carlsberg Danish Pilsner	Carlsberg	Lager	33 cl	3.80%	No
Casillero Del Diablo Malbec Wine	Casillero Del Diablo	Red Wine	75 cl	13.50%	Yes	Any wine containing more than 10 Parts Per Million (ppm) must state ‘Contains Sulphites’ on the label. In practice, this is in almost all wine produced. There are legal limits set for total sulphur dioxide depending on the sugar level of the wine. We comply with these legal requirements (ex. the permitted range starts at a maximum 200 ppm for white and Rose wines and maximum 150 ppm for reds with 5g or less of sugar)
Casillero Del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc Wine	Casillero Del Diablo	White Wine	75 cl	13.50%	Yes	Any wine containing more than 10 Parts Per Million (ppm) must state ‘Contains Sulphites’ on the label. In practice, this is in almost all wine produced. There are legal limits set for total sulphur dioxide depending on the sugar level of the wine. We comply with these legal requirements (ex. the permitted range starts at a maximum 200 ppm for white and Rose wines and maximum 150 ppm for reds with 5g or less of sugar)
Cazcabel Blanco Tequila	Cazcabel	Tequila	70 cl	38%	No
Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur	Chambord	Liqueur	70 cl	16.50%	No
Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Whisky	Chivas Regal	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Ciroc Vodka	Ciroc	Vodka	70 cl	40%	No
Corona Extra	Corona	Beer	33 cl	4.50%	No
Crown Royal Black Whisky	Crown Royal	Whisky	75 cl	45%	No
Crown Royal Canadian Whisky	Crown Royal	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum	Dead Man’s Fingers	Rum	70 cl	37.50%	No
Desperados Tequila Lager	Desperados	Lager	33 cl	5.90%	No
Disaronno Liqueur	Disaronno	Liqueur	70 cl	28%	No
Don Julio Reposado Tequila	Don Julio	Tequila	70 cl	38%	No
Echo Falls Pink Gin	Echo Falls	Gin	70 cl	37.50%	No
Estrella Damm Beer	Estrella Damm	Lager	330 ml	4.60%	No
Fireball Cinnamon Liqueur	Fireball	Whisky	70 cl	33%	No
Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Whisky	Glenfiddich	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old Whisky	Glenmorangie	Whisky	70 cl	43%	No
Godiva Chocolate Liqueur	Godiva	Liqueur	75 cl	15%	No
Gordon’s London Dry Gin	Gordon’s	Gin	70 cl	37.50%	No
Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin	Gordon’s	Gin	70 cl	37.50%	No
Greenall’s Original London Dry Gin	Greenall’s	Gin	70 cl	37.50%	No
Grey Goose Vodka	Grey Goose	Vodka	70 cl	40%	No
Havana Club Anejo 3 Year Old Rum	Havana	Rum	70 cl	40%	No
Heineken Premium Lager	Heineken	Lager	33 cl	5%	No
Hendricks Gin	Hendricks	Gin	70 cl	41.40%	No
Hop House 13 Lager	Hop House	Lager	33 cl	5%	No
Hpnotiq Blue Liqueur	Hpnotiq	Liqueur	70 cl	17%	No
Jack Daniels Old No.7 Whiskey	Jack Daniels	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Jagermeister Liqueur	Jagermeister	Liqueur	70 cl	35%	No
Jameson Black Barrel Whisky	Jameson	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Jameson Irish Whisky	Jameson	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky	Johnnie Walker	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila	Jose Cuervo	Tequila	70 cl	40%	No
Kahlua Liqueur	Kahlua	Liqueur	70 cl	20%	No
Kopparberg Pear Cider	Kopparberg	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes	The amount of sulphites varies between different products and batches, but most of Kopparberg ciders contain on average 50-70 mg/l, expressed as total SO2.
Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime Cider	Kopparberg	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes	The amount of sulphites varies between different products and batches, but most of Kopparberg ciders contain on average 50-70 mg/l, expressed as total SO2.
Kraken Black Spiced Rum	Kraken	Rum	70 cl	40%	No
La Belle Etoile Pinot Noir Wine	La Belle Etoile	Red Wine	75 cl	12%	Yes
Magners Apple Cider	Magners	Cider	56.8 cl	4.50%	Yes	Levels of sulphites in Mangers ciders vary depending on flavour and packaging type (glass, can etc). For Magners Original Can approx. sulphite level is 20ppm.
Malibu Rum	Malibu	Rum	70 cl	21%	No
Michelob Ultra	Michelob	Lager	330 ml	4.20%	No
Monkey 47 Gin	Monkey 47	Gin	50 cl	47%	No
Old Mout Kiwi & Lime Cider	Old Mout	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes
Peroni Nastro Azzurro	Peroni	Lager	33 cl	5.10%	No
Pimms No.1 Cup Liqueur	Pimms	Liqueur	70 cl	25%	No
Rekorderlig Apple Cider	Rekorderlig	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes
San Miguel Lager	San Miguel	Lager	33 cl	5%	No
Skyy Vodka	Skyy	Vodka	70 cl	40%	No
Smirnoff Vodka	Smirnoff	Vodka	70 cl	37.50%	No
Sourz Cherry Liqueur	Sourz	Liqueur	70 cl	15%	No
Sourz Apple Liqueur	Sourz	Liqueur	70 cl	15%	No
Stella Artois Apple Cidre	Stella Artois	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes
Stella Artois Lager	Stella Artois	Lager	33 cl	4.80%	No
Strongbow Dark Fruits Cider	Strongbow	Cider	50 cl	4%	Yes
Suntory Roku Gin	Suntory	Gin	70 cl	43%	No
Thatchers Gold Cider	Thatchers	Cider	50 cl	4.80%	Yes	All of Thatchers ciders contain sulphites at less than 200 mg/L.
Thatchers Katy Cider	Thatchers	Cider	50 cl	7.40%	Yes	All of Thatchers ciders contain sulphites at less than 200 mg/L.
The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask Whisky	The Macallan	Whisky	70 cl	40%	No
Wild Turkey 101 Whiskey	Wild Turkey	Whisky	70 cl	50.50%	No

How Can I Find Out If A Drink Has Sulfites?

It's not always easy to tell if an alcoholic drink has sulfites in it, but thankfully new rules have been making it easier for consumers to find out.

The best place to check is the label. Many countries require "sulphites included" on the label. While they won't tell you how many sulphites, or to what percentage, it will at least give you an indication of if there are sulphites present.

Below are some examples of labels where sulphites are include.

While each label is different in its own way, they both include "sulphites" on the label. Even when we contacted manufacturers and companies directly, many wouldn't give a clear answer on how many sulphites are within their drinks, so it can be hard to get a clear number to compare.

What Alcoholic Drinks Have The Most Sulphites?

A good rule of thumb is to assume all wines and ciders have a percentage of sulphites in order to preserve the freshness of the drink.

Beer is a little bit confusing. There are naturally-occurring sulphites in beer to help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. However, most countries only require the label to include "has sulphites" if there is a high percentage (or added sulphites on top of the naturally occurring ones).

The chart above shows "No Added Sulphites" on many of the beer options. This doesn't mean that there are no sulfites present, but the level of sulfites isn't high enough that it would warrant it to be listed on the label.

While sulfites in beer are quite likely at a very low level, they may still be present as the yeast produces it during fermentation. If you are allergic to sulfites, or have a negative reaction to them, the level could still trigger a response.

Just remember this - drinks with a higher alcohol percentage like whisky, vodka and gin will likely be without sulphites.

After new regulations were passed, the EU recommends that a "acceptable daily intake" of sulfites is 42mg per day for a 60kg female. Having said that, a medium glass of white wine contains 26mg of sulphites on average. Typically, white wine has more sulfites than red wine, but both types are often triggered for people with sulphite intolerances.

Some organic wines will be lower in sulphites, and some will call themselves "sulphite-free", although sulfites occur naturally in wine. To be "sulphite-free" under EU regulations, a wine must contain less than 10mg per litre. In practice, few people suffer a reaction to less than 20mg of wine sulfites. The maximum permitted level is 200mg per liter.

Beer usually has naturally-occurring sulfites but few had added sulphites on top of that. If you check the label, you'll likely see allergen notices for things like barley, oats, wheat and gluten, but likely not sulphites. If there is a higher percentage of sulphites, it should be listed on the label (such as Tetley's Cask).

Final Thoughts on Sulfites in Alcohol

We hope this article gave you a better understanding of sulfites in alcohol - what they are, what they can do to your body, which alcohol drinks have them, and how to avoid them by learning what to look for on the label.

If you find that you're not allergic to sulfites - but rather, you have an alcohol allergy or Asian flush, we can help. Not only do we have the best Asian flush cure - our Asian glow pills. But, we also have a database of helpful resources on Asian glow patches, acetaldehyde foods to avoid, how to prevent red face when drinking, and sudden alcohol intolerance.