What stops beer from being vegan? The complete guide

November 7, 2025 •

4 min read

While beer is fundamentally made from four simple, plant-based ingredients—water, grain, hops, and yeast—it's the finishing touches that often determine its vegan status. A significant number of beers are not vegan due to the use of animal products during the clarification or flavouring process.

Quick Summary

Beer may contain animal products, not just as ingredients but as clarifying agents. Traditional finings like isinglass from fish bladders and gelatine from animal collagen are the primary culprits, along with additives such as honey and lactose. Many modern breweries use vegan-friendly alternatives.

Key Points

Fining Agents: Animal-derived products like isinglass (fish bladders) and gelatin (animal collagen) are commonly used to clarify beer, making it non-vegan.
Hidden Ingredients: Some beers contain non-vegan flavourings, such as lactose in milk stouts or honey in certain ales.
Labeling is Unreliable: Manufacturers are not always required to list fining agents on labels, making it difficult to identify non-vegan products without research.
Vegan Alternatives Exist: Brewers can use plant-based finings like Irish moss, bentonite clay, or mechanical processes such as centrifugation to clarify beer ethically.
Research is Key: Websites like Barnivore, vegan certification logos, and checking brewery websites are reliable ways to confirm a beer's vegan status.
Cask vs. Keg: Traditional cask ales are more likely to be fined with isinglass, whereas most modern kegged beers are typically filtered using vegan methods.

Most beer is initially brewed from a naturally vegan recipe, comprising water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. However, a significant number of beers, particularly traditional ales, can lose their vegan status during the manufacturing process. This can happen in two main ways: during the clarification process with animal-derived fining agents or through the addition of non-vegan ingredients for flavour and texture.

The Problem with Traditional Fining Agents

Brewers use fining agents to clarify beer, causing unwanted particles like yeast and proteins to clump together and settle at the bottom of the fermentation tank. This process makes the final product clear and bright, but historically, many fining agents have been derived from animals. While the fining agents themselves are typically filtered out before packaging, their use renders the beer non-vegan.

Common Non-Vegan Clarifiers

Isinglass: Derived from the dried swim bladders of fish, typically sturgeon or tropical fish. It is still commonly used in traditional cask ales.
Gelatin: A protein extracted from the boiled bones, skin, and connective tissues of animals, such as pigs and cows. It is an effective fining agent used to clarify beer.
Casein: A protein found in milk, sometimes used as a fining agent in the brewing process.
Albumin: A protein from egg whites that is sometimes used for clarifying and stabilising foam.
Chitosan: A fining agent made from the shells of crustaceans like crabs and shrimp.

Animal-Derived Ingredients Added for Flavour

Besides fining agents, some speciality beers contain animal-derived ingredients added deliberately for flavour, texture, or sweetness. Unlike fining agents, these ingredients remain in the final product.

Non-Vegan Flavourings and Additives

Lactose: A sugar derived from milk, lactose is unfermentable by brewer's yeast and is added to 'milk stouts' and 'milkshake IPAs' to provide sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel.
Honey: An animal by-product, honey is used in some honey ales and meads for flavour and as a fermentable sugar.
Whey: A milk by-product, whey is sometimes used to add texture and body to certain beer styles.
Cochineal: A red dye made from crushed insects, occasionally used to give beers a pink or red hue.

Vegan-Friendly Brewing Methods

Fortunately, brewers can achieve perfectly clear beer without using animal products. Many modern breweries, particularly in the craft beer space, have adopted vegan-friendly methods and ingredients.

Vegan Alternatives and Techniques

Plant-based Finings: Ingredients like Irish moss (a type of red seaweed) and bentonite clay (a volcanic clay) are effective alternatives for clarification.
Silica Gel: Also known as kieselsol, this is a popular vegan-friendly fining agent that helps reduce haze.
Centrifugation: This mechanical process uses centrifugal force to separate solids from the liquid, clarifying the beer without any chemical aids.
Filtration: Passing the beer through filters can remove yeast and other particles, resulting in a clear product.
No Fining/Unfiltered: Many hazy beers, especially certain New England IPAs, are unfined and unfiltered by nature, making them vegan by default.

Comparison of Fining Agents


Feature	Non-Vegan Fining Agents	Vegan Fining Alternatives
Examples	Isinglass (fish bladders), Gelatin (animal collagen), Casein (milk protein)	Irish Moss (seaweed), Bentonite (clay), Biofine (algae), Silica Gel
Source	Animal-derived products	Plant-based, mineral-based, or synthetic sources
Primary Use	Accelerate clarification and produce a very bright, clear beer	Clarify beer by coagulating and settling particles, preventing haze
Ethical Impact	Not suitable for vegans due to the use of animal products in processing	No animal products are used, making them suitable for vegan consumption
Effectiveness	Highly effective, especially isinglass for traditional cask ales	Very effective, often used in conjunction with other methods like filtration

Finding Vegan-Friendly Beer

It can be challenging to identify a vegan beer since fining agents are not always listed as ingredients on the label. However, several resources can help. Many breweries, responding to growing consumer demand, now explicitly state that their beers are vegan on their websites or packaging. For a comprehensive resource, websites like Barnivore maintain a large database of alcoholic beverages and their vegan status, compiled from information provided by manufacturers. Searching online for a specific brand's vegan policy is also a reliable method. The easiest way to be sure is to look for a vegan certification symbol on the label.

Conclusion

While the basic ingredients of beer are vegan, the use of animal-derived fining agents like isinglass and gelatin, and flavourings like lactose and honey, means that not all beer is suitable for vegans. For those committed to a vegan lifestyle, awareness of the brewing process and a willingness to investigate individual brands is key. Thankfully, with the rise of modern brewing techniques and the use of vegan-friendly alternatives, the options for enjoying a delicious, ethical beer are expanding rapidly.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, not all beer is vegan. While the core ingredients are plant-based, many brewers use animal-derived products, particularly fining agents for clarification, during the manufacturing process.

Isinglass is a fining agent derived from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is used to clear beer by causing suspended particles like yeast to clump and settle to the bottom, but its use makes the beer non-vegan.

Generally, yes. Many hazy beer styles, such as New England IPAs, are intentionally unfined and unfiltered, relying on modern brewing techniques to stabilise without animal products. This makes them a safe bet for vegans.

Lactose, a milk sugar, is used in beers like milk stouts and milkshake IPAs to add sweetness and a creamy, fuller body. Since brewer's yeast cannot ferment lactose, the sugar remains in the finished product.

No, labelling is not mandatory, especially for fining agents that are removed from the final product. However, many modern and craft breweries voluntarily label their vegan beers to attract ethically-conscious consumers.

The most reliable methods are to look for a vegan certification symbol on the label, consult online databases like Barnivore, or check the brewery's official website directly.

No, mead is a type of alcohol made by fermenting honey. As honey is an animal by-product, mead is not considered suitable for vegans.