Is Guinness Vegan and Cruelty Free? (April, 2024)

Trying to figure out if Guinness is safe for vegans to consume can be difficult.

Beer makers often clarify their products with fining agents, such as isinglass, casein, or albumin. These are all derivatives of animal products, typically fish. Some brands use vegan-friendly fining agents but it can be hard to know for sure.

To ensure that you’re only eating food and drinking alcohol that aligns with your vegan lifestyle and diet, I’ve looked into the ingredients and production processes of Guinness.

Here’s what I found.

Table of Contents

Is Guinness Vegan?

Yes! Guinness is vegan.

Guinness is a brand of beer that began in Dublin in 1759 and is now brewed in 49 countries around the world. This beer contains only a few simple ingredients: water, barley, hops, and yeast. Guinness is popular for its lager and stout beers and many variants of these two styles. Luckily, all Guinness beers are suitable for vegans.

Many vegans are under the impression that beer is not vegan because of the use of animal-derived fining agents, such as isinglass or fish bladders, in the filtration process, but this isn’t always the case. And Guinness is a prime example.

Guinness is one of the beer brands that stopped using isinglass in its filtration process. Instead, it uses a new filtration system that is vegan friendly. So, for all you vegans out there, you can drink Guinness with a clear conscience!

Is Guinness Cruelty Free?

Yes! Guinness is cruelty free.

Guinness beers are not tested on animals at any point in their manufacturing process. Additionally, Guinness beer is brewed without using any ingredients that require regular animal testing, such as artificial color.

Animal testing is a cruel and outmoded practice that should be stopped. Innocent animals are only left in pain, maimed, and killed in the process. There are alternative ways to test products without harming animals that are just as effective.

What Is Guinness Made Of?

Here are the ingredients of Guinness Draught:

Water
Malted barley
Barley
Roasted barley
Hops
Nitrogen
Yeast

Let’s break down each ingredient of Guinness Draught:

Water

Water is the main ingredient of Guinness and all beer. Water is used in the brewing process to dissolve the other ingredients and later evaporates during boiling. Water is a vegan ingredient.

Malted barley

Malted barley is germinated barley that is then kiln-dried. This process gives the malt its characteristic flavor. Malted barley is a vegan ingredient.

Barley

Barley is a cereal grain that is used in the brewing process. It gives beer its characteristic flavor and color. Barley is a vegan ingredient.

Roasted barley

Roasted barley is unmalted barley that has been kiln-dried. This process gives the malt its characteristic flavor. Roasted barley is a vegan ingredient.

Hops

Hops are the flowers of a climbing plant that are used to add bitterness, flavor, and aroma to beer. Hops are a vegan ingredient.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is used in the brewing process to give Guinness its characteristic creamy head. Nitrogen is a vegan ingredient.

Yeast

Yeast is used in the brewing process to convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yeast is a vegan ingredient.

Why Is Guinness Vegan?

Guinness beer is a vegan brand because it does not use any animal products in any of its beers, from its main ingredients to its fining agents. Guinness is a great choice for vegans, whether in can or keg format. Guinness is also cruelty free, as it does not test its products on animals.

Is Guinness 0 Vegan?

Yes! Guinness 0, a nonalcoholic beer, contains only vegan-friendly ingredients. It also does not involve any animal-derived ingredients in the brewing process.