segundemuren: So Ladies & Gentlemen, I've been on a "mostly" Vegetarian diet for the last 3 weeks or so...
about 2 hours ago
jessicaamy12: @miss_rolex I eat it and throw up. Tofu gives you everything meat would. Are you vegan or vegetarian? I have iron supplements. :)
about 2 hours ago
loudguitar: mmm. Before I book st Johns ambulance, do you think I should wait to hear from Guinness? or if not approved, do the event anyway for a laugh
about 3 hours ago
vegmeal: You won't get enough protein on a vegetarian or so they say. link
about 4 hours ago
Follow us on Twitter ...
 | By Molly Snyder Edler   OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Molly Snyder Edler |
| Published Dec. 19, 2007 at 8:07 p.m. |
|
As a winter guzzler of Guinness, I love the fact the dark stout is slightly lower in calories than many other brands (210 per pint), but apparently, Guinness isn't vegetarian. I'm a happy meat eater, but wasn't always, so I find this interesting and amusing.
The stout uses isinglass, a by-product of the fishing industry that comes from dead fish. Isinglass is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the beer vat, and even though it's kept in the floor of the vat, small quantities might end up in the beer, which makes the beer, technically, not vegetarian.
I was a vegetarian for 10 years, and have been a Guinness drinker for even longer, but I never knew this alleged factoid about my favorite beer. All those years I thought I was on a strict veggie diet, I was, possibly, ingesting dead fish particles.
Might as well have downed a fish sandwich from McDonald's while I was at it.
|
9 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Recent Talkbacks ...
Posted by WestsideTide on Jan. 3, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. (report)
There are meat product in all sorts of things. Contact disinfection fluid often contains a chemical that comes from cow and pig liver bile. Yes, liver bile. There should be a lot more vegans wearing glasses.
| Rate this: |
Posted by danno on Dec. 20, 2007 at 3:07 p.m. (report)
Animal eats plant, animal dies and decays, the animal's nutrients then are used by a plant, and so it goes, the cycle of life. Chill. Enjoy and be thankful for food.
| Rate this: |
Posted by Chrisna on Dec. 20, 2007 at 12:13 p.m. (report)
Here's a long list of beers that do and do not include isinglass http://homepage.ntlworld.com/geraint.bevan/Vegetarian_beers.html I'd say the more popular non-veggie beers are Bass, Beamish, Boddington's, Guinness, Kronenbourg, Leffe, Murphy's, Newcastle, Stella Artois. Also, Rosemount wine.
| Rate this: |
Posted by Kstohl1 on Dec. 20, 2007 at 10:04 a.m. (report)
I have several friends who are vegetarian and have told me that Liene's and Miller are safe. Whew! They also explained the while Guinness has fish scaling compounds in it to me: while it is true that some particles of this agent may (and emphasis on may) be in the product after brewing, it is only a trace amount so small it cannot be tested in the final product, therefore cannot be confirmed nor denied. Guinness has been very open about this fact and it is basically a "cya" statement in case someone does throw a fit.
| Rate this: |
Posted by Bee Tee on Dec. 20, 2007 at 8:37 a.m. (report)
I suspect this is true of more thank just Guinness and more than just beer. Someone just reminded me that anchovies are in worcestershire sauce, making bloody marys also non veggie. Of course, there'd better be anchovies in caesar dressing too, and so that's not veggie. If someone sat down and did the research, I suspect vegetarians would find there are a lot of animal-based products "hiding" in all sorts of unexpected places.
| Rate this: |
Show me the other 4 Talkbacks
Recent blogs/briefs by Molly Snyder Edler
|
11 benefits of being an adoptive mom Monday The adoptive mom lets go of a lot, but she receives an abundance in return, too. Here ... |
|
Can you politely "unfriend" on Facebook? Oct. 30, 2009 A real friend from the real world told me she wanted to clean up her Facebook page and ... |
|
Rapid review: Centro Cafe Oct. 29, 2009 Today's quick review focuses on Riverwest's newest eatery, Centro Cafe. It's a cozy, Italian ... |
|
Are spelling tests stupid? Oct. 26, 2009 I spend hours a week grilling my kid on spelling words, and even though I'm a writer, ... |
|
Rapid review: Roots Restaurant & Cellar Oct. 22, 2009 Here's a mini review of Roots, a fresh and natural restaurant in Brewer's Hill with an ... |
| Top Clicks | Top Searches | Most Talkbacks |
- Milwaukee's best Middle Eastern, 2009: Casablanca
- Milwaukee's best vegetarian, 2009: Beans & Barley
- Rapid review: Roots Restaurant & Cellar
- Now Brooklynites can enjoy Lakefront in their own Habitat
- Summerfest picks: Jeff Sherman
- "Perspectives" digs deep into Milwaukee history
- OnMilwaukee.com Recommends: April 9, 2009
- St. Patrick's Scene: Brocach
- "Authentic" Irish suds in Milwaukee's pubs
- Irish pub guide
