If you’re a vegan, you don’t just have to mind what you eat — you have to pay close attention to what you sip on as well. And while obvious things like dairy products or egg whites are out, sometimes a glassful of your favourite tipple can have plenty to be wary about. For instance, is that tequila, wine or cockail you’re sipping on wholly vegan? Or horrors! Is that beer vegan?
Fear not, for there are actually some great beer options for vegans. While certain brands are proud to be vegan, other established labels like Guinness too are making an attempt to be 100 per cent vegan. For instance, Guinness has decided to drop the fish extract that has so long been part of its iconic recipe from this year onwards. And craft beers, which have really caught on in recent years, pride themselves on not having any animal products in their brews.
Brewers are also using vegan or vegetarian alternatives to “non-vegetarian” ingredients like gelatine. A lot of these ingredients made their way into beer because drinkers have a prejudice against less-than-clear brews, but in recent times, as appreciation for natural and artisanal beers has grown, that prejudice has also been overcome. So go ahead, indulge!
