Is beer vegan? Here is what you should know:

Beer is usually vegan, especially if it was brewed in Germany. However, vegans need to pay close attention, as there are, of course, exceptions.

Beer is vegan – except for a few exceptions

Those who live vegan, not only avoid products of animal origin when eating, but also when drinking. While wine and sparkling wine are not always vegan, you don’t need to worry when enjoying a cool glass of beer.

• Beer is vegan in most cases. If it has been brewed according to the German Purity Law, you can be sure that it has not come into contact with animal ingredients.

• However, this is not automatically the case for all beers. The basic ingredients such as yeast, hops, barley malt and water are not of animal origin. However, in some breweries that do not work according to the German Purity Law, animal additives are used in the brewing process. For example, fish bladders are used to clarify the beer and remove cloudy substances.

• Especially beer mix drinks or special beer types are not vegan. Oyster stouts are prepared with the help of oysters, milk stouts and peaty IPAs contain lactose and beer types with honey also contain animal substances.

How to recognize vegan beer

Whether a beer is vegan or not is not so easy to recognize, because some substances used for clarification do not have to be on the label.

• German beer, however, must be brewed according to the Purity Law, so you are on the safe side here if you are vegan. However, depending on the brand of beer, it is possible that the label on the bottle was attached with glue of animal origin.

• Since private breweries and regional beer specialties, as well as beers from abroad, may differ, you should check with the respective beer brand to see if it is vegan. A quick Google search will help you.