Posted on the 15th March 2017
Guinness finally went completely vegan in April 2016. This includes all Guinness drinks.
What makes alcohol not vegan?
Many breweries use a product called isinglass in the production of their beer. This substance is made from the swim bladders of certain fish and is used to make the beer clear, rather than cloudy. It remains a common practice throughout the industry making many beers unsuitable for both vegans and vegetarians. Some beers can also have other animal ingredients added to them, such as milk stouts, which contain lactose, and oyster stouts, which really do contain shellfish.
Other vegan stouts
Isinglass is most commonly used in cask beers – i.e. those dispensed from hand pumps in pubs and bars – making them far less likely to be suitable for vegans. However, a number of mostly small-scale breweries across the UK produce cask stouts that are free from animal products. Here’s a selection to look out for:
Some breweries use isinglass in their cask stout, but not in the version available in bottles or cans. So here are some vegan-friendly alternatives to Guinness that you can buy off the shelf, just not at the bar:
Please note that whilst all the beers listed above are suitable for vegans, other beers sold by these breweries may not be. Please check Barnivore or with the breweries themselves for the most up-to-date information.
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