Vegetarian Beer Drinking: What You Need To Know

Beer is typically made from barley malt, water, hops, and yeast, and is therefore usually vegan-friendly. However, some breweries add extra ingredients to their beers for flavour or filtration, which may be derived from animal sources. These include lactose, honey, isinglass, gelatin, glycerol monostearate, and egg whites. As manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredient lists on alcohol labels, it can be difficult to know whether a beer is vegetarian or vegan-friendly. However, resources such as Barnivore can help identify vegetarian and vegan beers.

Most beer is vegetarian-friendly

Beer is most commonly made from barley malt, water, hops and yeast, which are all vegan-friendly ingredients. This combination of ingredients means that most beer is suitable for vegetarians.

However, some brewers add additional ingredients to their beers for flavour or filtration that are derived from animal sources. These ingredients include dairy products such as lactose in milk stouts, honey, and animal-derived finings such as isinglass (a form of collagen derived from the dried swim bladders of fish), gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells.

Brewers are not required to disclose ingredient lists or the finings used on their labels, so it can be difficult to know whether a beer is vegetarian-friendly or not. Some breweries that have published this information and are known to be vegetarian-friendly include the Marble Brewery in Manchester, UK, the Black Isle Brewery, and the Little Valley Brewery.

There are also tools and websites such as Barnivore that can help identify vegetarian-friendly beers. Barnivore is a web-based database that has compiled information on over 45,000 beer, wine, and liquor products, including their ingredients and filtering methods. There are also several mobile applications that use Barnivore's data to provide a mobile-friendly experience for users.

While most beer is made with vegan-friendly ingredients, it is always good to check the source or use resources like Barnivore when in doubt.

Some brewers add non-vegetarian finings

While the basic ingredients of beer are vegan-friendly, some brewers add non-vegetarian finings to the beer during the brewing process. Finings are substances that act as clarifying agents, helping to filter out impurities and improve the clarity, flavour and aroma of the beer.

Some finings are derived from plants, such as Irish moss and pectin. However, some brewers use finings derived from animal products, including isinglass (a form of collagen derived from the dried swim bladders of fish), gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells.

Isinglass is the most common fining used to clear cask ale. It is produced from the swim bladders of fish, usually sturgeon, but also those in the polynemidae, sciaenidae and siluridae families. As it is an animal product, cask ale cleared with isinglass is not considered vegetarian.

Brewers are not required to disclose the finings they use, so it can be difficult for vegetarians to know which beers to avoid. Some breweries that have declared their beers to be vegetarian and/or vegan-friendly include Samuel Smith, Heineken, Harp Lager, Anheuser-Busch, the Marble Brewery in Manchester, the Black Isle Brewery, and Black Sheep Brewery.

Beers with animal-derived ingredients

While the basic ingredients of beer are usually suitable for vegetarians, some breweries use animal-derived ingredients as additives or during the filtration process. These ingredients are often not disclosed on the label, so it's important for vegetarians to choose vegetarian-friendly breweries or beverages known to contain no animal products.

Isinglass

Isinglass is a fining agent derived from the dried swim bladders of fish, typically sturgeon. It is used to clarify the beer by removing yeast and other particles, resulting in a clearer appearance. Isinglass is very common in brewing and is the most frequently used fining for cask ale.

Gelatin

Gelatin is another fining agent derived from animal collagen, often sourced from cow or pig bones, skin, and connective tissues. It helps clarify the beer by binding to particulate matter and yeast, aiding in their removal during filtration.

Honey

Honey is added to some beers as a flavouring agent and sweetener. While it is generally considered suitable for vegetarians, it is an animal product and therefore not vegan-friendly.

Lactose

Lactose is a sugar derived from milk. It is sometimes added to beer, particularly milk stouts, to impart sweetness and a creamy texture. Lactose may also be added to other beer styles by craft breweries to experiment with different flavour profiles.

Chitosan

Chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from the shells of crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs. It is used as a fining agent to help clarify the beer by binding to yeast and other particles, facilitating their removal.

Glycerol Monostearate

Glycerol monostearate is an animal-derived substance used in the later stages of beer processing to create or control the foam or head on the finished beer.

In addition to these ingredients, other animal-derived substances that may be used in beer production include albumin, casein, charcoal, diatomaceous earth, insects, pepsin, white sugar refined with bone charcoal, and albium (a water-soluble protein derived from animal blood).

Vegetarian-friendly breweries

Beer is usually made from barley malt, water, hops, and yeast, which are all vegan-friendly ingredients. However, some breweries add extra ingredients to their beers for flavour or filtration that are derived from animal sources. These ingredients include lactose, honey, and isinglass, a form of collagen derived from the dried swim bladders of fish.

Breweries are not required to disclose their full ingredient lists or the fining agents they use, so it can be difficult to know if a beer is vegetarian-friendly or not. That being said, some breweries have published this information and are known to produce vegetarian and vegan-friendly beers. These breweries include:

• Samuel Smith
• Heineken
• Harp Lager
• Anheuser-Busch
• Marble Brewery (Manchester, UK)
• Black Isle Brewery
• Black Sheep Brewery
• Bartleby's Brewery
• MillerCoors
• Little Valley Brewery
• Pitfield Brewery
• Epic Brewing Company
• Broken Compass Brewing Company

In addition to these breweries, there are several online tools and mobile applications that can help identify vegetarian and vegan-friendly beers. Barnivore, for example, is a web-based database that provides information on the ingredients and filtering methods used in over 45,000 beer, wine, and liquor products. There are also several mobile applications available for iOS and Android devices that use Barnivore's data to provide convenient, on-the-go access to this information.

Tools to identify vegetarian beer

While most beers are made from barley malt, water, hops, and yeast, and are therefore vegetarian-friendly, some breweries use animal products in their beers for flavouring or filtration. These animal-derived ingredients are not always disclosed on the label, so it can be tricky to identify vegetarian beer. Here are some tools to help you:

Barnivore

Barnivore is a web-based platform that acts as "your vegan beer, wine, and liquor guide". It has compiled a database of over 45,000 entries on beer, wine, and liquor products, including information on ingredients and filtering methods used. Barnivore's database can be accessed via its website or through various mobile applications.

Veggiebeers App

The Veggiebeers app is available for both iOS and Android users. It helps vegetarians, vegans, and celiacs choose suitable drinks by providing information on beer, wine, and liquor products.

PETA's Website

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) maintains a list of vegan beers on its website. While the list may be limited, it can still be a helpful resource for identifying vegetarian-friendly beers.

Research Brewery Information

Some breweries voluntarily disclose the use of animal products in their beers. By researching a company's values, history, and product ingredients, you can identify whether their beers are vegetarian-friendly. Examples of vegetarian and vegan-friendly breweries include Samuel Smith, Heineken, Harp Lager, Anheuser-Busch, the Marble Brewery (Manchester, UK), the Black Isle Brewery, and Black Sheep Brewery.

Frequently asked questions