Beer

[bradders]

I sent them a request for the info (scottish & newcastle) and am waiting to hear back
my main suspician is that they still use isinglass or similar in the UK etc but in australia to avoid telling people what crap they use they changed to beef collagen and that people somewhere along the line have got the wrong end of the stick and said that everywhere else it's free from fi nings because it isn't on the label

[Risker]

That's actually quite disturbing news if you think about it. This means beer and cider companies quite clearly use different methods per country. Ergo, one can't simply go on line and compare what other vegans have discovered in forums, chat rooms, or listings like Barnivore; they have to go a step further and ascertain which country was contacted for the information, which is often not included with the original information.

"I just called them and they say it is vegan"

doesn't actually tell us the full story.

edit to add: Also we can't always assume the bottle we are holding was made in the same country we are standing in. Many beers are imported. Do they always clearly label from which country?

That's always been the case hasn't it? I know that guiness in this country is not suitable for vegans but is in others.

All the cans you buy here are marked with both where it was brewed and where it was canned.

[Frank]

they have to go a step further and ascertain which country was contacted for the information, which is often not included with the original information.

You sometimes need to know which brewery the beer was made in - within a country(!)

Take San Miguel. If brewed at its current location it is vegan.

Once the production goes to Scotland - it will be made with fish finings.

[Mahk]

Yikes! Thanks guys.

[Buddha Belly]

From what I always understood about Fosters here is they are vegan, except when a batch is not too great and they chuck fining's in. It is only occasional and they never say when they do, so I have always avoided as it is vegan Russian roulette

[bradders]

that is part of their line on their products. They only use finings on stored beer products when the results require it. If only they would use alternatives such as a vegan Irish Moss (seaweed preperation).
It will be interesting to know what their response is on the issue.

[Gorilla]

Take San Miguel. If brewed at its current location it is vegan.

Once the production goes to Scotland - it will be made with fish finings.

i hadn't heard that - thanks for the warning Frank.

i always thought Fosters is non-vegan, it's disgusting stuff anyway

[bradders]

if it turns out that it is vegan in the UK it means that there are vertually no bars left where tehre is no vegan beer on draft, it's not the worst beer on the market in terms of taste so it would be useful.
I am still waiting for a response though

[Daffodil]

It tastes good to me, most cider is made with about 6 cups of processed sugar per gallon, no one drinks cider for health reasons

Aspalls is good. Never had Dunkertons.

didn't know this about the sugar....I always drink scrumpy jack since going wheat-free (as opposed to lager).... i'll have to re-think my drinks again!??

[Risker]

6 cups?! bloody hell, if I added that amount of sugar to my home made cider you'd have to call an ambulance before you started drinking it.

[Frosty]

no one drinks cider for health reasons

I beg to differ. I add mine to my five portions per day

[KayJay]

My local Morrisons are doing the 500ml bottles of Westons ciders (among others) - 4 bottles for a fiver. My personal favourites are Stowford Press Export & Old Rosie : )

[bradders]

local waitrose (upminster) has it reduced to £1.19 a bottle! also Aspall's is in for £1.39 which is pretty cheap for truly good cider

[*live*&*let*live]

Tiger beer is suitable for us guys and gals. Sorry not read the whole thread so if already posted - sorry! I did check via the search box but nothing came up :smile:

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I've always had a love for beverages, coffee and tea in particular. But since I've turned 21 and can purchase alcohol legally I've really developed a love for beer. Before I was of age it was whatever you could drink because it'd make you drunk.

Before I've viewed wine as a classier and complex beverage but since I've gotten into beer I've realized it can be be elegant and complex and a really diverse beverage. Its easily become an obsession after learning and tasting the different styles and traditions that is beer.

I know theres a decent amount of teetotalers and Xedgers on the forum who are against the negative mental, physical and soical effects of alcohol, but I've stopped looking at beer as a means to end, but rather a fine art that you need to respect. Intoxication is obviously the effects of alcohol in excess but that comes back into the respect of the beverage. I feel you really need to respect the creators of the beverage and their intentions it is their craft.

I can no longer drink hard alcohol or wine I am devote to beer. I really enjoy Belgian styles, Duvel, Chimay, Brewery Ommegang and Unibroue in particular. But also good American IPAS and English porters and stouts. Sierra Nevada is also a personal favorite of mine. Beer is a beautiful beverage and exploration.

Who else hear has a love of beer?

[Buddha Belly]

Hee hee. From earlier posts there is no doubting my love of ciders and beers. My favourite beers are bitters and occassionally lagers. I have to be in the right mood for them. I quite like American ales as they tend to be fizzier than UK ales and I find it helps to mix the flavour in my mouth. UK ones are so flat at times it is a struggle to get down after a while. With fizz burps make room.

I too like the Belgian beers and enjoy their fruity beers (I am aware that 'fruity beers'could have another meaning in the US). If you can find it try VB beer, it's Australian and ok if in bottles.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

do you mean Lambics by fruity Belgians (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/10)? I have yet to try them. Is this VB buddha? http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/353/1541

[Buddha Belly]

That is VB. There were a few good ones in there though. Oh well don't care. I liked it. The site is a real ale one and VB is like a lager/ beer cross. Ale folk disdain lager unless it is made by Nun's closeted in a Belgian well and not for sale to the masses.

Persoanl choice and all that!

Read it back...why am I so defensive? it's a bloody beer!

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

haha understandable. I love beer advocate and am quite involved with it. I know what you mean though I get real down when my friends hate what I drink. I don't know why but I take it personally as well. Perhaps if I see it I'll it for your sake can't promise I'll like it though

[Buddha Belly]

I tried my favourite beer out on some friends at the Cambridge Beer festival this year and was really upset when they did not like it then said it was tasteless. Bear in mind this beer was Champion Best Bitter of GB in Camra best beer 2008.

[matt35mm]

Excellent. Well I went through a phase of being really into beer. That stopped when I got to the UK due to money and because, well, I don't really like what's regularly available at pubs and shops here (uh, for vegans, Grolsch, Carlsberg, and now Stella). Except for Sam Smith's pubs, because they serve my favorite beer! So now I drink whiskey.

When I was in California we had a lot of cheap local stuff and good imports available, which is why I got very into it. I even was on Beer Advocate quite a lot.

My favorite beers are Samuel Smith beers (the Nut Brown Ale in particular!) and Deschute's Obsidian Stout.

It's perfect that I'll meet you first in my U.S. tour, EYF. Let me buy you a beer!

[beanstew]

I'm partial to Indian beers.

*takes sip of ice cold Cobra. *

[Marrers]

My favorite beers are Samuel Smith beers (the Nut Brown Ale in particular!) . . .
It's perfect that I'll meet you first in my U.S. tour, EYF. Let me buy you a beer!

You'll have to bring him a Nut Brown Ale now!

[Lord Perennialist]

Old Speckled Hen and Rolling Rock! My two addictions when it comes to beer. One's British, the other American, but they are both good!

[fiamma]

Nastro Azzurro - an Italian lager by Peroni - is my fave... and it's vegan

However my current love is wine

[matt35mm]

You'll have to bring him a Nut Brown Ale now!

Sam Smiths are actually easier to find in the U.S. than here in the U.K.! I actually can't find them in Brighton at all!

[gogs67]

:d PBR !!:lol

[DiaShel]

I love white ales and hefes. I enjoy the taste of beer tremendously but it makes me feel... yucky. Since I started being the healthy vegan that I am my stomach just can't handle what it use to.

[Enchantress]

Old Speckled Hen and Rolling Rock! My two addictions when it comes to beer. One's British, the other American, but they are both good!

I was under the impression Old Speckled Hen wasn't vegan.
http://www.barnivore.com/beer/Greene%20King%20Brewing

[matt35mm]

If you can handle whiskey, it makes you feel GREAT!

[Enchantress]

^I beg to differ. Whisky is evil.

[matt35mm]

Whiskey and water then?

[Enchantress]

No, whisky is still evil no matter how much you dilute it.

[gogs67]

Whiskey and Whisky are two different things!

[Enchantress]

Yes, but they're both evil.

[matt35mm]

Whiskey and Whisky are two different things!

Actually they're the same thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky

With few exceptions, the spelling is Scottish, Canadian, and Japanese whisky, but Irish and American whiskey.

[gogs67]

Actually they're the same thing.

You're not a connoisseur then?

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

Sam Smiths are actually easier to find in the U.S. than here in the U.K.! I actually can't find them in Brighton at all!

Sam smith is everywhere in New England! I'd drink it all the time if it were cheaper. I've had the nut brown but I'm partial to the taddy porter.

[Lord Perennialist]

I was under the impression Old Speckled Hen wasn't vegan.
http://www.barnivore.com/beer/Greene%20King%20Brewing

Damn... thanks for the heads up! Beer's one of those things like vegetables that I assume are always vegan friendly... technically beer supposed to have nothing but barley in it. Well that's disappointing... I'll have to find a new favorite beer.

[Frosty]

Tiger Beer is looovely! I've just bought a 3L box of Weston's Organic

[Mr Flibble]

You've not gone posh have you?

[beanstew]

I like Tiger too.

[snaffler]

I can add a less strong cider to the list if it available in other parts of the UK and that is Thatchers Old Rascal, very light, tasty and carbonated, getting mine at Sainsbury at the moment 3 for £4, and of course it is vegan.

[bradders]

ooo yummy yum yums

[Name 5434]

watch out for the beers, stouts, wines & ciders - most are not VF due to the substance(s) used in the fining process.

beck's bier is definitely VF however, don't assume that other german biers are similar - their purity laws are now rather vague.

replying to another comment - generally, whisky means whiskey - however if you wish to be particular, it just depends upon whether its 'the scotch' (..ky) or 'the irish' (..key).

nothing like a a glass of hot punch made from stewart's cream of the barley whisky.

[DiaShel]

This vegan guy told me that all German beers are vegan. Something about their laws regarding the process. I suppose that isn't true huh?

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

Um I'd actually put a pretty good bet that guy is 98% right about that. Thankfully there is no GOOD reason to use animal products in beer. Isinglass is really the only ingredient that is used. Its used to clarify the beer of yeast finings and and general cloudiness. It is the 21st century now and most companies now use centrifuges, irish moss, DE and rice filters to do the dirty work. Beer really shouldn't need to be filtered in the first place but some customers want a crystal clear beverage.

So that said most major operations, all the huge american companies are vegan friendly. And well not that you'd want to drink those but the majority of high quality beers are vegan friendly because companies do believe in a certain purity of their beers. A lot of beers are bottle conditioned anyway with the yeast in the bottle so you can usually rest assured those are vegan.

Diashel since you are around NY, CT Thomas Hooker (out of bloomfield) is not VF they use fish collagen. And most other beers that aren't vegan you really wouldn't wanna go out of your way to drink anyway; Newcastle, Guiness, Smithwhicks, Berkshire etc. I can list more beers that are vegan friendly then not.

Wine is trickier though alot more of them use animal ingredients. Barnivore.com is a good resource or just emailing a company if your concerned. Ironically enough one place seemed really offended that I asked them if they used animal ingredients.

[Jiffy]

I must admit to being a big fan of Fullers beer. Nearly all of their bottled beers are vegan, so it goes to show that it can be done.

[EJay]

This vegan guy told me that all German beers are vegan. Something about their laws regarding the process. I suppose that isn't true huh?

The Reinheitsgebot! German purity laws. Originally they only allowed beer to be brewed with water, hops, and barley but was later revised to include yeast.
A little bit of info here.

It only applies to beers actually brewed in Germany, from what I understand. So, there could be beers on the German market that do not adhere to purity laws and, likewise, German owned beers which are brewed outside the country which do not adhere to purity laws.

Thus - the Weihenstephan beers are some of my absolute favorites! Especially the Vitus (light, refreshing unfiltered wheat) and the Korbinian (dark, sweet, thick and molassesy!)

[*live*&*let*live]

What's vegetarian or vegan
O signifies that an organic variety is available. NB: Many cask versions of the same beers will not be suitable for vegetarians.
Vegan: Budweiser, Cannabia (O), Carlsberg Export, Freedom Organic (O), Fuller's 1845 Celebration, Fuller's Discovery, Fuller's Golden Pride, Fuller's Jack Frost, Fuller's London Porter (O), Fuller's Vintage, Hoegaarden, Pinkus Muller (O), Special Brew, Vintage Roots beer and lager (O)
Vegetarian: Angel Lager (O), Bannockburn, Beck's, Ben Nevis (O), Black Douglas, Border Gold (O), Brakspear Organic (O), Budvar, Circle Master (O), Coors, Fuller's Organic Honey Dew (O), The Ghillie, Greenmantle, Grolsch, Heather Ale Alba, Heather Ale Ebulum, Heather Ale Fraoch, Heather Ale Grozet, Heather Ale Kelpie, Heineken, Holsten Pils, Lomond Gold (O), Meantime (O), Merlin's Ale, O'Hanlons, Old Jock, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Range, Sheriffmuir, Stirling Brigg
Not vegetarian: Bass, Boddingtons, Brakspear, Carling, Castlemaine XXXX, Fiddlers Elbow, Fosters, Freedom, Goliath, Hobgoblin, John Smith's, Kronenbourg 1664, Leffe, Miller Genuine Draft, Newcastle Brown Ale, St Peter's (O), Tennants, Tetley's, Wychcraft
Ethical Consumer has been unable to find information on Amstel, Brahma, Corona Extra, Cruzcampo, Peroni Nastro Azzuro, Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen.

Found the above on ethical consumer does it help anyone? Not a big beer drinker I prefer wine and spirits myself but thought I would post for others. List updates regularly it would seem. Sorry can't get the bold off it's playing up!