Is beer vegan?

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Food > Nutrition

Bartender—there’s a cod in my Bass!
Aren't all beers vegan? The surprising answer is no. You might be surprised what a few of the British brews have swimming around in your beer.

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By: Norman Clausen

March 5, 2007

If you’ve ever had a Guinness, you’ve probably heard a variety of rumors as to where it gets its distinctive flavor. Two of my favorites involve brewers tossing hunks of venison into the vats and rats tossing themselves in only to drown while going on a booze cruise.

The good news is that neither of those is true. The bad news is that Guinness is, in fact, not vegan. Neither are Bass, Harp, and many of your other favorite Irish and British beers.

For the most part beer is vegan, and there are very few beers brewed in America or the European mainland that are not. However, the British brewing industry extensively uses a fish derivative called isinglass for clarification in their cask brewing process. Isinglass, which is made from the ground swimbladders of cod, helps to settle the yeast to the bottom of the cask where it can be removed. While very little isinglass remains in the finished product, there are traces, making most British brews undrinkable for vegetarians.

For more information on beer and healthy beers, check out these organic beer reviews.