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ALCOHOL AND VEGETARIANISM –
DO THEY MIX?

One of the areas where people are less aware of the use of animal by-products is in alcoholic beverage production. The main reason for this is probably due to the fact that alcoholic drink producers are not bound by law to state which additives or ingredients are used during the making of their products. An obvious example of this discrepancy is the advertisements of Guinness down through the years stating that there are four ingredients used in the making of the drink - hops, barley, yeast and water. What we are not told about is the additives used during the production process. A single phone-call to the Guinness consumer information line in Dublin revealed quite readily that the fining agent used in the clarification process is isinglass (a fish gelatine). Mother beer maker, Hoisten, who recently had an advertising campaign around Ireland also states that only four ingredients are used for making their beer Hoisten pus. Hoisten beer however, is approved by The UK Vegetarian Society and The UK Vegan Society.

So, what is the difference? What are fining agents? And what is the clarification process? Once production is underway, there comes a stage where deposits in the raw product need to be removed because they create a cloudy appearance which makes the liquid unappealing to drink. The removal of the deposits is called the clarification or clearing process. This can be done using filtration, natural settling, or by using a variety of fining agents. There are many fining agents available and they tend to vary widely, with some suitable for vegans, some for vegetarians and others which are animal-derived materials. The most commonly known non-vegetarian types are gelatine and isinglass. Gelatine is the jelly made from boiling animal parts such as bone, tendons, ligaments and skin. Isinglass is a gelatine which is obtained from the air bladders of various freshwater fish especially species of sturgeon. There are vegetarian types such as egg whites or milk products and vegan types such as bentonite, which is a clay material. These often feature more prominently in the wine making process however. Wine producers use a range of the various vegan, vegetarian or animal-based fining agents The nature of wine making means that there are a number of different times when fining agents need to be used.

Generally the final alcohol product has had any trace of the finings removed by the end of the process. However, the fact is that we as consumers do not have full knowledge of the complete ingredients list of alcoholic drinks, and that we as vegetarians or vegans must sacrifice all just because some are unsuitable for consumption.

It is easier to get your hands on beer that is either vegetarian or vegan, than it is to get guaranteed vegan or vegetarian wine. The reason for this is that it is more usual for lagers to be fined using chill-filtering, but not all are. Listed below is a selection of the more widely available drinks in Ireland which are approved by the UK Vegetarian Society - they are also reported to be suitable for vegan consumption. (For a full list, you can access the website using the following address www.vegsoc.org/info/vegbeers.htrnl or write to them at The UK Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Rd., Altrincham, Cheshire, WAI4 4CG, England.)

Significantly, while there are also quite a number of vegetarian drinks listed under the bitters and low alcohol beers lists, no commonly known ciders or stouts are listed as vegetarian. A small number of vegetarian or vegan ciders do exist but these seem to be produced in small quantities, or the companies involved do not have the wide distribution systems which other larger companies have built up.

Soft drinks don't always escape either...

It is interesting to consider that while cloudiness in apple juice and cider drinks is considered off-putting by many, the cloudiness equivalent in orange or grapefruit juices is considered desirable and is something that we are willing to pay more money for as a luxury product. Unfortunately, various fining agents (as described above) are usually used in the preparation of apple drinks, and yet again, nothing of this is specified in ingredients lists because the finings are removed and so are officially not present in the final product.

Maria Connolly

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