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Kahlúa and Malibu not suitable for vegetarians
Pernod Ricard-owned liqueur brands Kahlúa and Malibu are not considered vegetarian products due to how the sugar used in their recipes is processed.
The ingredient lists for both brands appear to be free from animal products and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Craig van Niekerk, global vice-president of marketing for Malibu and Kahlúa, 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.”
The brand confirmed that the same applies to Malibu, however a bespoke vegan version of the product was made for its recent UK collaboration with Oatly.
The bone char filtration process is widely used to refine sugar in the US, although it is not common in other countries, including the UK.
Vegan drink database Barnivore claims that Japanese liqueur brand Choya is also not suitable for vegetarians due to its sugar.
The site also lists Marie Brizard liqueurs as unsuitable for vegans but does not specify a reason. The Spirits Business has reached out to the company for comment.
Malibu was the world’s second-biggest-selling liqueur brand in 2023, while Kahlúa clocked in at fourth. The latter was named Liqueur Brand Champion owing to its 3.3% growth in volume sales.
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