Oh no! How will the enlightened intoxicate themselves?

Did you know that many beers and wines contain elements of critter? I bet you didn’t.

Many of these, especially cask ales, are clarified with isinglass, a form of gelatin obtained from the swim bladders of sturgeon and other fish. Though the isinglass is filtered out with the impurities it helps remove, some trace amounts remain in the finished product. Some wineries use egg whites or casein instead, making their products somewhat more vegetarian, but not vegan. Neither beer nor wine is required to list ingredients on the label.

Veggieheads fear not, however:

You can find a list of vegan wines at Vegan Wine Guide and an extensive directory of beers with their vegetarian status at Vegetarian Food, Beer, Cider and Wine.