You might be asking, isn’t all beer vegan? It seems that it should be, as beer is traditionally made with hops, malt, and yeast. These are all vegan-friendly ingredients. But it is not that easy. Despite being brewed from predominantly plant-based ingredients, there are beers including finings of animal origin. One of the most commonly used animal finings is lactose. Brewers add lactose to make their beer more creamy and smooth as well as to build body and mouthfeel in low-alcohol beers. So, it’s always best to check the ingredients before you buy a beer.
Not vegan-friendly beer ingredients:
- Isinglass (Beer fining, made with fish swim bladders.)
- Gelatin (A protein received from boiling animals' skin, bones, ligaments. It is used to clear beers.)
- Glycerin (Animal-derived glycerin is sometimes called tallow, and is taken from beef or mutton fat.)
- Casein (Casein is a milk ingredient and is not vegan.)
If you're vegan, or you just don't want anything of animal origin in your beer, check out these brews crafted by independent British distillers. They are all delicious and vegan-friendly.
Paper White - Extra Pale Ale 4.6% — McColl’s Brewery
Paper White - Extra Pale Ale is a refreshing and flavorsome brew. Ideal tipple for barbecues and nights in.
Expect a soft bready body delivered by Pilsner malt and oats. Hop brings big dry additions and hints of lemongrass, elderflower, and gooseberry. Fermented with both ale and wine yeasts this clean beer finishes on an extra dry note and complimentary fruity esters.
-
Ingredients: (allergens in bold) water, malted barley (Pilsner) oats, hops (Hallertau Blanc, Nelson Sauvin), beetroot, yeast (Belgian Ale& Beaujolais wine).
Buy Paper White - Extra Pale Ale
Adaptogenic 0.5% Chaga Lager — Fungtn
Chaga lager is an alcohol-free craft beer brewed to 0.5%and enhanced with organic Chaga mushrooms. No, they won't get you high and no, your beer won't taste like a mushroom. They will help keep your mind and body in good form.
Chaga is an amazing fungi that is full of antioxidants such as triterpenes, polyphenols, and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). The concentration of antioxidants, as well as the diverse types of antioxidants makes Chaga a great natural support in overall health.
Chaga lager is crisp, refreshing dark, European style lager. Enjoy malted, chocolate nose with a full rounded body.
Wild Espresso IPA - 4.3% — Wildcraft Brewery
Wild Espresso is an IPA with a coffee kick that will blow your mind. Delightful coffee flavours are balanced with refreshing citrus hints.
This coffee IPA is made using the best quality coffee imported and roasted in Suffolk by Freshpac Teas and Coffees. The coffee beans come from family-owned farms in Cameroon that grow their coffee using their value chain approach meaning that the farmers take time to care for and grow the best quality coffee. They are rewarded for their hard work by being paid higher than the market rate.
Enjoy a well-balanced and smooth beer with a nice touch of espresso and citrus hints.
Pillars Pilsner 4.0% — Pillars Brewery
Pillars Pilsner is the eternal crowd-pleaser, perfect choice for any occasion: BBQ, pizza night, festival, or a quiet evening at home.
This pilsner is crisp, clean and refreshing. Brewed in a specialist craft lager brewery based in Walthamstow. Expect lots of pine and refreshing citrus flavours.
- Ingredients: Malted barley, Hops (Amarillo), Water, Yeast (German Lager Yeast).
- Taste: refreshing, piney, citrusy.
Organic IPA 2.3% — Small Beer
This brew is organic, made with all British sourced ingredients and, of course, delicious. Enjoy lots of floral hop aromas with hints of orange that lead to a crisp biscuit-forward thirst quencher with a rich marmalade bitterness on the finish..
Ingredients: Water, organic malted barley, organic oats, organic hops, yeast.Calories:
- 87.5 calories per 350ml bottle
- 0.9 UK units per 350ml bottle
- 7.35g carbs per 350ml bottle
Pango Table Beer — Fauna Brewing
Pango Table Beer is a perfect low ABV beer. Great choice when you are drinking less but still want to enjoy a proper beer with friends or at the end of a long day.
Fauna Brewing has partnered with African Pangolin Working Group to help them with their mission to save these beautiful and unique animals. So, every time you buy Pango Table Beer, you are helping to save pangolins. How cool is that?
- Ingredients: Water, Hops, Barley, Oats and Yeast.
- Taste: refreshing, with distinctive citrus and piney character.
Esmeralda Cerveza Non-Alcoholic Beer — Mockingbird Spirit
Esmeralda is a non-alcoholic Mexican-style cerveza with added Mockingbird Spirit, an alcohol-free, tequila-inspired spirit.
It's a light and golden non-alcoholic beer with a touch of tequila taste. Looks great, tastes even better. Perfect pairing for tacos, quesadilla, and fun!
