Water, yeast, malt and hops. Looking at the ingredients, Guinness beer would already be easily drinkable by vegans, given that in the original recipe – now 257 years old – there are no products of animal origin. But the trick was there and it was the isinglass, which has always been used in the clarification phase by the producers of the well-known Irish stout: obtained from fish bladders, this gelatinous substance is used in the production process to eliminate impurities such as fats.
But now, keeping a promise made to its consumers in 2015 following a petition proposed by a Manchester citizen, Guinness becomes 100% vegan friendly. "Certainly right from the start as regards the kegs, that is, in the places that serve it on tap", explains Barnivore, an online guide for vegans and vegetarians regarding beers, wines and spirits, while for cans and bottles we will probably have to wait until the end of the year to be sure to come across a product without any component of animal origin.
