Why Add Beer, Wine, or Whiskey to Cold Process Soap?
At first glance, adding beer, wine, whiskey, or even champagne to soap might sound unusual — but in the world of handmade soapmaking, it’s actually a popular technique. These ingredients don’t leave behind the scent or “flavor” of the drink, but they do bring some unique benefits to the finished bar of soap.
The Benefits of Using Spirits in Soap
1. Rich, creamy lather
Alcoholic beverages contain natural sugars. When added to soap, those sugars help create a fluffy, stable, and bubbly lather that feels luxurious in the hands.
2. Creative & fun appeal
“Beer soap,” “Bourbon vanilla,” or “Champagne & roses” — names like these make soaps stand out and give them a fun story behind the bar. Customers enjoy picking up something that feels a little different and gift-worthy.
3. A unique additive
For soapmakers, spirits are a creative way to experiment with specialty ingredients or even use up leftover beverages. While the scent of the drink won’t survive the soapmaking process, the sugars and the story remain.
Important Considerations
Working with alcohol in cold process soap requires a few extra steps:
Boil off alcohol and carbonation. Straight alcohol and carbonation are not safe to add directly to lye. Always boil the beverage first to remove both.
Cool or freeze the liquid. Sugars can scorch when lye is added, creating unpleasant smells and darkening the soap. Freezing or chilling helps prevent this.
Expect a faster trace. Sugars heat things up, so the soap batter thickens quickly. Recipes with more slow-moving oils (like olive) can give you more time to work.
Darker colors are common. Many spirit soaps cure to a tan or brown shade because of the sugars.
Alternative Methods
Not every soapmaker adds the alcohol directly to the lye solution. Some prefer to:
Add at trace. A small amount of boiled, cooled beverage can be stirred into the soap batter at trace — though this also speeds things up.
Use the name only. Since the drink’s scent doesn’t survive, some soapmakers use a spirit-themed fragrance or essential oil blend instead. This way, you get the “Bourbon Soap” or “Wine Soap” appeal without handling the alcohol.
When I first tried adding beer to soap, I learned the hard way that you must boil out the carbonation before adding lye. I skipped that step — and ended up with a full-blown volcano in my mixing bowl! I named the finished batch Desert Brew, and once I refined the process, it turned into a fun, desert-inspired bar. (If you’re curious to see the video of that soap volcano, you can watch it here on Instagram.
Later, I experimented with whiskey in soap. This time I was prepared and took the proper steps to safely add it. The sugars in the whiskey gave the soap a warm, caramel tone, and I added cocoa to make a woody-like swirl. I then paired it with a woodsy essential oil blend and named it Cedar Cut. It quickly became a favorite for anyone who enjoys an earthy, masculine-style bar.
Final Thoughts
Adding beer, wine, or whiskey to soap isn’t about making your shower smell like happy hour — it’s about creating a rich, bubbly lather and offering something unique and memorable. With the right preparation (and a few lessons learned along the way), spirits can be a fun way to make soap with character.
If you could choose any drink to inspire a soap, what would it be?” 🍺🥂🥃
