Guinness Extra Stout

"Guinness Draught and Harp, whether in a keg, can, or bottle, has removed the use of isinglass as a means of filtration, making our beer vegan friendly. Other variants that are now considered vegan friendly include Guinness Extra Stout and the Foreign Extra stout."

From the FAQ (https://www.guinness.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions/, retrieved January 2018) "Yes, our new state-of-the-art filtration process has removed the use of isinglass as a means of filtration and vegans can now enjoy a pint of Guinness Draught, whether from the keg, bottle or from a can... Guinness Original, Guinness Extra Stout and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout are now suitable for vegans thanks to our new filtration system."

"According to the email I received, there is no Veg friendly product in their lineup nor are there any current plans to have one."

"You will be pleased to hear that we do not use any animal products in our beer or the production of it. The fine beers we brew (and import) are brewed with these all-natural ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, yeast, and cereal grains. The water we use is drawn from the municipal drinking supply and carbon filtered for astounding purity. Our brewing water must free of any taste, color, or aroma before brewing. Barley malt is the “soul” of beer. Our beers are brewed with pale two or six row barley malt. Roasted barley gives the color to our beers – lightly roasted barley makes pale golden beers like Labatt Blue or Budweiser. For Keith’s Red we use barley roasted a little longer, until the sugars start to caramelize. Roast them yet more? Keith’s Dark. Hops are the female flower bud of a perennial climbing vine, and are known as the “spice” of beer. Hops are added in different stages of the brew kettle’s boil to give the beer aroma, bitterness, and to balance the flavor. Yeast is the life of the brewing process. We use our own pure-cultured yeast strains for fermentation – the yeast breaks down sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Our lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast for a crisper, cleaner flavor. Ales use a top-fermenting yeast for a more fruity, floral, lingering notes. Most of our beers are also brewed with a cereal grain, also known as an adjunct. Some are brewed with corn for a sweeter taste. Some use rice for a crisp, clean finish. Beyond this, some beers use special flavorings or spices for a truly unique flavor – like the essence of lime found in Bud Light Lime, or the coriander and citrus peel found in Keith’s White."

"The main confusion for me here is the fact that none of the packaging for Guinness in NA say Labbatt's brewing anywhere on it (also the Moosehead info which confuses things, cant even tell if they actually brew Guinness anymore), so i wanted to confirm what version of Extra Stout was brewed where. as follows: I specifically asked Labatt's in the email about Guinness Extra stout in the bottle brewed by Guinness Brewing Company, New Brunswick, Canada (this is what's printed on the bottle label, there is no mention of Labatt's on the packaging at all, although they are the manufacturers). I received this email in response [see below] but it sounded very formulaic and didn't mention Guinness specifically. I called Labatt's to speak with a rep and at first they gave me the generic answer that they do in fact use isinglass in the process. Then I asked very clearly and specifically about bottled Extra Stout brewed and bottled in New Brunswick. After checking for me the rep was able to very clearly confirm that this product, brewed in New Brunswick, didn't not use isinglass in it's production and was in fact suitable for vegans. whew!"

[from Labatt who brews Guiness Extra Stout in Canada] "You will be pleased to hear that we do not use any animal products in our beer or the production of it."

" We are more than happy to assist you with your inquiry. The North American Guinness Extra Stout does not contain isinglass, nor are any animal products used in its manufacture."