Drinks You Didn’t Know Contain Allergens

Drinks You Didn’t Know Contain Allergens

When we think of food allergies, we focus on the foods that contain allergens and often forget about checking the ingredients of drinks.

Smoothies

Smoothies can contain allergens that may not be labelled in the ingredients list as the recipes change frequently. Equipment and utensils may be reused and may not be cleaned thoroughly after each use, particularly utensils which are used to add toppings. Be aware of cross contamination with drink stirrers, shakers  and other utensils used to mix drinks.

Coffees                                   

Different types of coffees contain different ingredients and allergens.

Cappuccino and lattes can contain allergen-flavored syrups such as hazelnut, almond, peanut 

Cappuccino, lattes, flat white’s, mocha’s contain different measurements of steamed and foamed milk.

There are different types of milk available that are added to coffees such as

• Almond milk

• Cashew milk

• Hazelnut milk

• Walnut milk

• Macadamia milk

• Soy Milk

• Coconut Milk

• Oat Milk

• Quinoa Milk

• Rice Milk

• Whole Milk

• Low fat Milk

• Skimmed Milk

• Lactose-Free Milk

• Sweet Condensed Milk

• Goat Milk

Ask the barista about the range of milk they offer and be aware if they contain the allergen you are allergic to as this may increase the risk of cross contact. You can then make the decision to avoid adding any milk to your drink or asking the staff to clean the equipment used to steam/foam the milk and use a fresh jug to pour it into your cup.

Alcoholic Drinks                        

Common allergens in alcoholic beverages include:

• Barley

• Egg protein (usually in wine)

• Gluten

• Grapes

• Histamines

• Hops

• Rye

• Seafood proteins

• Sodium metabisulphite

• Sulphites

• Wheat

• Yeast

Below you will find a list of drinks that contain allergens.

Cocktails and smoothies                

Alcoholic cocktails and smoothies can contain certain allergens that may not be labelled in ingredients as recipes can change frequently. Equipment and utensils may be reused and may not be cleaned thoroughly, particularly utensils which are used to add ingredients or toppings (i.e the same spoon could be used for marshmallows and nuts or even the marshmallows could be in the same container that the nuts had previously been stored in).

• Pina Colada – may contain cream which contains dairy

• Pisco Sour – the white ‘fuzz’ is made from beaten egg whites

• Nuts and Berries Cocktail

Flavourings

• Creme d’amande – Cream of Almond in drinks

• Maraschino cherries are flavoured with almond extract or almond oil

• Horchata/ Orxata is a sweet beverage made of soaked grains or nuts and seeds (almond, sesame)

Beer and Malt Beverages

May contain:

• Wheat

• Nuts

• Ethanol

• Yeast

• Sulphites

Beer contains gluten and is often made of wheat or barley but can also have other ingredients as flavouring. Be careful with specialty beers or any stouts and ales that are pitched to have a “nutty” quality.

• Nut Brown Ale contain nuts for flavouring such as peanuts, almonds, almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts

• Terrapin Liquid Bliss- peanuts

• Willoughby Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter- peanuts

• Short’s Über Goober Oatmeal Stout – peanut

• Uber Goober Oat Stout – peanut

• Stubs Old Crow Hazelnut Porter – hazelnut

• Phillips Dirty Squirrel – hazelnut

• Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar – hazelnut

• Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale – pecan

• Monteith’s Golden Lager – cashew

• Piney River Black Walnut – walnut

• Short’s Pistachio Cream Ale – pistachio

• Harp Lager – possible traces of peanut, several reactions reported

Brandy

• Nux Alphina – green walnuts

• Ratafia – almonds

Liqueurs

• Amaretto – almonds/almond-like kernels from apricots, peaches, cherries, or similar stone fruits

• Bellota – acorns

• Castries Peanut Rum Creme – peanut

• Charbay Nostalgie – black walnuts

• Disaronno – apricot kernel oil

• Dumante – pistachio

• Dwersteg’s Organic Amaretto Liqueur – organic liqueur with distillate from almond kernels

• Frangelico – hazelnuts and herbs

• Kazkar Feni – cashew

• Kahana Royale – macadamia nut

• Nocello – walnut and hazelnut

• Nocino – unripe green walnuts

• Orahovac – walnut liqueur

• Peanut liqueur

• Peanut Lolita -peanut

• Reistbauer – hazelnut

• Rumchata – doesn’t contain nuts, but is made with the same equipment as nuts

• Trader Vic’s Macadamia Nut Liquor – macadamia

Rum

• Rogue Hazelnut Spice Rum – contains hazelnuts

Wines

May contain:

• Sulphites

• Eggs

• Milk

• Fish

• Grapes

• Ethanol

• Yeast

Red and white wine usually contain sulphites, but there are sulphur-free wines available. Many wines use eggs, milk or fish in the fining stage of production. The ingredient list may not include these allergens because even though the wine has come into contact with these ingredients, they are removed from the final product.

A 2011 study tested for reactions to wines. No fining agents were detected in the wines; however a very small skin reaction was observed in people with a milk, egg, or fish allergy. Due to the small scale of the response, the researchers concluded fining agents pose a very low risk (1).

Gin

May contain:

• Nuts

Gin is a flavoured spirit and is usually distilled with botanicals and other flavours including nuts. Many of the popular gin brands such as Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire contain or are flavored with almonds.

• Bombay Sapphire – almond

• Bombay Amber – almond

• Star of Bombay – almond

• Beefeater – almond

• Brockman’s Gin – almond

• Citadelle Gin – almond

• Ferdinand’s Saar Quince – almond

• Gothenburg Gin – almond

• Indian Summer Saffron Infused Gin – almond

• Pink 47 Gin – almond

• Sipsmith London Dry Gin – almond

• Williams Chase Seville Orange Gin – almond

• Texas Longhorn Gin – almond

Vodka

• Peanut Flavoured Vodka – peanuts

• Puschkin Nuts & Nougat Vodka – almonds

• Van Gogh Peanut and Butter Jelly Vodka – peanuts

Whiskey

• Elbana Irish Whiskey – almonds and peanuts

• Glayva scotch whiskey liqueur – almonds

The Effect of Alcohol

Alcohol can decrease the ability to communicate effectively and make good decisions. It may also reduce the threshold level to trigger an allergic reaction, the speed a reaction can occur and may increase severity.

Here’s some tips when ordering drinks:

• Order your drink yourself by going to the bar and speaking with the bartender rather than letting your friends order your drink

• Approach the bar during quiet times not when the bartender is busy and overwhelmed with the orders

• Order last to allow your company to get their drinks first so when the bartender is ready, you can spend more time informing them of your allergies and they can focus on your drink. 

• Ask the bartender to clean the equipment they use or use new equipment for the preparation of your drink

• Avoid extra flavorings for rim of glass- these flavorings could be crushed nuts, salt, spices, or nut butters

• If ordering additional drinks, ask the same bartender as they will be aware of your allergies 

Some bar staff may not be as educated on food allergies in comparison to staff in a restaurant, so inform them about the necessary precautions they should take and how to prepare your drink safely.

This increases allergy awareness in the bar and staff will then be more informed about how to deal with future customers with food allergies and they will hopefully educate their co-workers on it. 

If you are very concerned about your food allergies when ordering drinks, you can ask to speak with the manager and they may be able to help with appropriate drink choices. Every bar and restaurant may deal with food allergies differently however the best way for you to communicate your allergies clearly to them is by remaining calm and confident in your discussion.

This is not a complete list of all of the drinks that may contain allergens, we will continue to add to it through your recommendations so let us know what other drinks you have come across in your area that directly contain or may contain allergens in the comments below or through our social media pages.

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References:

Vassilopoulou, Emilia, Athanassios Karathanos, George Siragakis, Stavroula Giavi, Athanassios Sinaniotis, Nikolaos Douladiris, Montserrat Fernandez-Rivas, Michael Clausen, and Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos. “Risk of Allergic Reactions to Wine, in Milk, Egg and Fish-Allergic Patients.” Clinical and Translational Allergy 1, no. 1 (October 17, 2011): 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-7022-1-10.

DISCLAIMER

The content of this website is intended for educational purposes only and should not be substituted for medical or professional advice. Please consult with your doctor for any health related questions or concerns.