Vegan products are becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands. We are often asked whether our beer is vegan. In this article we take you into the world of beer and explain which beers are and are not vegan.
What do we mean by vegan?
Vegan means: the product does not contain any animal raw materials, but no animal products are used during the preparation either. For example, a vegan does not eat animal products such as milk and cheese, but he also does not wear leather.
But beer is a natural product, right?
Beer is made from grain, water, hops and yeast. Those are products that are vegan. Sometimes, however, some things are added to the beer that makes it no longer vegan. Think of honey to sweeten the beer or lactose. Lactose is sometimes added to make the beer creamier and you see this more often with stouts. In these cases, the beer is no longer vegan, because it contains animal products.
There is another reason why not all beer is vegan, and it has to do with the filtering. During fermentation, 'bits' often appear in the beer. They also call it sediment. It is not pleasant to have too much sediment in your beer, which is why the beer is filtered. These filters are often made from animal products because it is cheap and works well and quickly. If so, then the beer is no longer vegan.
How can I know if the beer I buy is vegan?
If brewers brew (and/or filter) vegan, they usually state this on the label. So do you see nothing on the label and are you vegan? Then it is advisable to check with the brewer whether they brew vegan. At OnderNulPuntVijf we have a separate page for all beers that are vegan. Below we describe a few breweries that brew vegan.
BRULO: Formerly called Coast Beer Co. is an alcohol-free only brewer that makes beautiful vegan craft beers. Taste, quality and creativity are central. They have only been around since 2019 and have already released more than 10 beers. The eye in the design of the logo and the cans was chosen because of the sober and alert character of the beer. They are based in Edinburgh, Scotland .
Freedl: When German expertise, Italian lifestyle and ingredients from the Alps meet, you know it's good. These two beers in. the flavors Classic and Calma are a chic and tasty vegan alternative to beer.
Lowlander: This Dutch brewery mainly brews with botanical ingredients: flowers, plants, herbs. Besides that, they also give something back to nature to fight climate change. You can see more about this in this video.
