TOPIC:

I was speaking to my friend this afternoon regarding Guinness. He's quite a fan and has recently stopped drinking it because he was told that there is fish used in some part of the brewing process. He is in fact a strict vegetarian, and would consider it totally immoral! Anyways, he has queried this with Guinness today via telephone convo.

The girl he was dealing with confirmed there is fish used in the brewing process. He recalled her mentioning it being used in the 'oxidisation'. I'm sorry to be vague here, but this is literally all the info I have as our convo was brief enough, but I said I would post it here the hope someone could tell me more. The girl went to say that this is used with 'most lagers'. And the impression I got from him is that she was referring not only to the beers brewed in St. James' Gate. She said Bud was the only exception (You can imagine how relieved he was to hear that!) I find it all a bit baffling, can anyone shed any light at all on this?!

Would be much appreciated

Its called Isinglass - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isinglass">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isinglass

I'm pretty sure its not in Coors Light either. Theres a list of beers on the web which contains isinglass...I'll dig it out for ye

this list of vegan beers might help

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.veganconnection.com/veganbeer.htm">www.veganconnection.com/veganbeer.htm

and also this

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.btinternet.com/~p.g.h/vegan_beer_list.htm">www.btinternet.com/~p.g.h/vegan_beer_list.htm

Thanks a million Delzep, that's really comprehensive, I shall pass it on to him

I suppose it depends upon whether this guy is the type of vegetarian who doesn't wear leather shoes, because the isinglass used is a process aid of which there is no trace when the beer in consumed. Does he object to possibly consuming some form of animal matter, or the notion that they are exploited for nefarious brewing processes?

To be honest Hendrixcat,I feel it's the idea of consumption that puts him off.