Vegan, vegetarian and beers, wines

[Captain Caveman]

Do the vegans and vegetarians on this board enjoy a beer and/or glass of wine?

Just reading a book tonight on home brew -

In fact, many beers and wines contain isinglass, a substance derived from collagen taken from the swim bladders of fish, (it is used to clarify the brew), which makes for tricky ground for vegetarians and vegans.

 

[buttercup]

It is a bit surprising, isn't it? I've heard that before, but it doesn't affect me because I don't drink at all anymore... I haven't in 20 years. It's amazing to me, though, how some foods that you would think wouldn't have any animal products in them happen to have some strange random animal ingredient. New vegans may not be aware of those things, but you learn them as you go.

 

[Zebra]

do they?

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Do the vegans and vegetarians on this board enjoy a beer and/or glass of wine?

Just reading a book tonight on home brew -

In fact, many beers and wines contain isinglass, a substance derived from collagen taken from the swim bladders of fish, (it is used to clarify the brew), which makes for tricky ground for vegetarians and vegans.

My understanding is that the word “vegan” strictly refers to foods that are made only from plant-based materials, and not any ingredients that comes from any non-plant forms of life.

Back in the ancient days, when all life was thought to be either plant or animal, fungi, including years, were classed with plants.

But now we know that fungi are not plants, that they are a separate kingdom of life, more closely related to animals than to plants.

So, as crucial as yeast (which is a non-plant form of life) is to beer and wine, it is really not possible for any beer or wine to be truly vegan.