Do you ever get headaches, congestion, or other unpleasant reactions when you drink? If so, you may be sensitive to sulfites or histamines — common compounds found in many alcoholic drinks. The good news is that with the right information, you can choose drinks that are easier on your body.
In this guide we'll explain what sulfites and histamines actually are, why they cause problems for some people, and — most usefully — which drinks tend to contain them, so you can raise a glass with fewer surprises. Let's get started.
What Are Sulfites in Alcohol?
Sulfites (also spelled sulphites) are sulfur dioxide compounds that occur naturally during fermentation and are also added to many drinks as a preservative. They act to hold off the bacteria and oxidation that would otherwise turn a drink cloudy or sour it into vinegar, as Science Focus explains.
You'll often hear that sulfites cause headaches, especially from red wine — but the science mostly doesn't bear this out. According to the medically reviewed guidance from the Cleveland Clinic, genuine sulfite sensitivity affects only around 1% of people and is most common in those with asthma — and when it does occur, the reaction is usually respiratory (wheezing, chest tightness) rather than a headache. Tellingly, red wine actually contains fewer sulfites than white, yet gets blamed for headaches far more often, which points elsewhere: histamines, tannins and the alcohol itself are the more likely culprits. (Some emerging research has even implicated quercetin in red wine interfering with the same acetaldehyde pathway behind alcohol flush.)
Where sulfites genuinely matter is for sulfite-sensitive people, particularly asthmatics. In those cases, common symptoms include:
- Wheezing or tightness in the chest (more likely if you have asthma)
- Hay-fever-like symptoms
- Hives
- Anaphylaxis (rare, but the most severe type of reaction)
Now you probably want to know whether your favorite drinks contain sulfites. Does vodka have sulfites? Does tequila? Does whiskey? Does beer? Below, you can see for yourself.
Does Vodka, Tequila, Beer, or Whiskey Have Sulfites?
Below is a list of different alcoholic drinks and whether they contain added sulfites. Two things to keep in mind: labelling laws differ by country, and where a drink is shown as "No," it means there are no added sulfites declared on the label — most beers still contain a small amount of naturally occurring sulfites from fermentation, just not enough to require a label.
| Drink Name | Brand | Drink Type | Common Size | Alcohol percentage | Contains Sulfites? | Sulfite Level |
| Absolut Vodka | Absolut | Vodka | 70 cl | 40% | No | |
| Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider | Angry Orchard | Cider | 500 ml | 5% | Yes | The level of sulfites 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 Sulfites’ 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 Sulfites’ 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 sulfites 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 |
|
| 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 sulfites in Mangers ciders vary depending on flavor and packaging type (glass, can etc). For Magners Original Can approx. sulfite 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 sulfites at less than 200 mg/L. |
| Thatchers Katy Cider | Thatchers | Cider | 50 cl | 7.40% | Yes |
|
| 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 isn't always easy to tell, but labelling rules have made it simpler. The best place to check is the label — many countries require a "contains sulfites" declaration. It won't tell you how much, but it confirms whether they're present. Here are a couple of examples of labels declaring sulfites:
Each label looks a little different, but both declare "sulfites." Even when we contacted manufacturers directly, many wouldn't give a clear figure for how much is in their drinks, so an exact number to compare is often hard to come by.
What Alcoholic Drinks Have the Most Sulfites?
A good rule of thumb: assume all wines and ciders contain some sulfites to preserve freshness.
Beer is a little more confusing. It contains naturally occurring sulfites that help inhibit bacteria, but most countries only require a label declaration if levels are high (or if sulfites are added on top of the natural ones). So a "No" in the chart above doesn't mean zero sulfites — just not enough to require labelling. If you're sulfite-sensitive, even that low level could still trigger a reaction.
As a general guide, higher-strength spirits like whisky, vodka and gin are usually sulfite-free.
On quantities: regulators set an acceptable daily intake for sulfites of about 0.7 mg per kilogram of body weight — roughly 42 mg a day for a 60 kg adult. For context, a medium glass of white wine contains around 26 mg on average. White wine typically carries more sulfites than red, though both can trigger sensitive individuals.
Some organic wines are lower in sulfites, and some are marketed as "sulfite-free" — though sulfites always occur naturally in wine to some degree. Under EU rules, a wine must contain less than 10 mg per liter to skip the declaration, and the maximum permitted level is 200 mg per liter. In practice, few people react below about 20 mg.
Final Thoughts on Sulfites in Alcohol
We hope this gave you a clearer picture of sulfites in alcohol — what they are, who actually reacts to them, which drinks contain them, and how to spot them on a label. For most people they're harmless; for sulfite-sensitive people, especially asthmatics, they're worth avoiding.
And if it turns out you're not reacting to sulfites at all, but to Asian flush or another form of alcohol intolerance, we can help. Our Asian flush support is formulated to support your body's acetaldehyde clearance — and we've got plenty more on managing the reaction, from DIY remedies and Asian glow patches to foods to avoid and sudden alcohol intolerance.
