Did you know?

There’s an estimated 2.5 MILLION vegans in the UK! That’s 4.7% of the adult population AND a number that keeps growing (sourced from finder.com).

So, it’s no wonder why the demand for vegan beer is increasing.

At Triple Point, we are – and always have been, committed to crafting great tasting beers that are inclusive to all!
Which is why we brew all our beer gluten-free, and almost all of it is vegan too!

Water, hops, yeast, and malted barley – on the face of it, beer sounds vegan, right?

Well, you might be surprised to learn that not all beers are vegan.

In this blog, we'll shed light on what makes a beer vegan, how to identify vegan-friendly options, and why our brewery is proud to offer vegan beers.

What Makes a Beer Non-Vegan?

At its core, most of the ingredients that go into brewing beer are plant-based.

Primarily, beer comprises of water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. Great!

However, the brewing process may sometimes use animal-derived products, particularly during the clarification stage, causing most beer NOT to be vegan.

Common non-vegan fining agents include:

• ISINGLASS: Derived from fish bladders. Used to clarify beer by removing yeast and other particles.
• GELATIN: Sourced from animal collagen. Also used for clarification.
• CASEIN: A milk protein sometimes used in the brewing process.
• LACTOSE: A milk sugar sometimes used for sweetening e.g. ‘Milk Stout’ or ‘Milkshake IPA’
• YOGURT: Live yogurt cultures may be used to start Lactic fermentation in sour beers.
• HONEY: Occasionally used as a fermentable sugar, adding sweetness and flavour to certain beers.

Many breweries use isinglass or gelatine because it is very traditional, having been used for centuries and usually, leads to a clearer, brighter pint.

Issue is… they’re not vegan-friendly. And you can generally still brew a gorgeous looking pint anyway! Other non-vegan items listed may be used for specific flavour effects in the recipe development.

How We Brew Our Beer Vegan / Our Commitment to Vegan Beer

As mentioned, most of our beers are vegan – particularly the ones you find on our web shop.

However, occasionally, we produce a non-vegan cask which can be found serving at our taproom or at one of the many pubs and bars across the country stocking our beer.

Question is, how do we make our beer vegan without sacrificing quality or flavour?!

To put it simply, we avoid the use of animal-derived fining agents in our brewing process wherever possible. Instead, we use vegan-friendly fining agents which are made from silicates, which are not animal-derived.

Where fining agents are used, whether vegan or non-vegan, their purpose is to settle out yeast and proteins. As such, they are not present at any significant level in the beer you drink.

Vegan Beer Recommendations

Our web shop is full of vegan (and gluten-free) beers! But, of course, here are some recommendations!

• First up, HELLES - our core vegan lager, inspired by the easy-drinking beers of Munich. It’s crisp, clean and refreshing, and nicely sessionable at 4.1%.
• CRYO is another beer from our core range, this time a vegan pale ale at 4.2%. It’s heavily hopped but not too bitter. Smooth and juicy with notes of citrus.
• Our vegan-friendly stout ASTRAL always goes down well with vegans. We use 10 grains to brew this one, giving it a rich and rounded, yet smooth mouthfeel. Expect chocolate and coffee notes upfront, ending with a touch of orange.
• Here for summer... our latest 4.5% CATHARINA brew. This time it’s strawberry and passionfruit flavoured. This gently hazy, soft and fruity vegan sour beer range is inspired by the Brazilian ‘Catharina’ style and we love experimenting with new flavours every summer.
• Next up, our rotational beer series ‘SOLO’ which only uses one hop per beer. This time SOLO – CITRA using (you guessed it...) citra hops! It's a 3.8% super sessionable vegan pale ale flavoured with sweet fruits, tropical and citrus.

How to Identify Vegan Beer

Checking the labels on your beer is key! If a beer is vegan, it’ll state ‘vegan’ or have a vegan certification logo on the label.

But it’s also worth checking brewery websites and social media accounts – as most of them will be shouting about their vegan products – like us!

You can spot our vegan beers by looking at the product card and description.

There’s a tonne of communities out there too. No doubt you’ll find vegan beer recommendations on Facebook groups and vegan sub-reddits.