More and more people switch to plant-forward, vegan diets every single day, whether for health, ethical, or environmental concerns. With a rise in the number of vegan consumers, all types of businesses should adapt and offer an inclusive food and drink menu. This includes the local brewery!
Offering a vegan beer in your brewery presents potential benefits that extend beyond ethical considerations. It can open up your business to a wider customer base, increase your market share, and boost your bottom line. Read on and learn how to brew a vegan beer in your brewery.
What Is Vegan Beer?
In the simplest of terms, vegan beer is a beer that includes zero animal products or by-products. The brewing process of vegan beer excludes isinglass, gelatin, casein, and other traditional beer ingredients for clarification and stabilization. Isinglass, for example, comes from fish bladders, and gelatin is a by-product of processed animal collagen.
However, brewers have found various vegan-friendly alternatives to these nonvegan ingredients. For instance, instead of using isinglass for clarification, brewers can use Irish moss (a type of seaweed) or even synthetic agents. These alternatives effectively perform the same function without compromising the quality of the beer or the ethical standards of veganism.
How To Brew Vegan Beer
The general process of brewing vegan beer is similar to that of traditional beer. Regardless of what’s on your menu, all brewing processes require suitable CO2 detection. With that in place, the process starts with a selection of vegan-friendly ingredients, which include malted grains, water, hops, and yeast. The brewer then steeps the chosen grains in hot water to extract their sugars, creating wort—a sweet liquid. The brewer then boils this wort with hops for flavor and later adds yeast to initiate fermentation.
The key difference between brewing vegan beer and traditional beer lies in the clarification step. As we mentioned before, traditional brewing practices rely on animal products and by-products for this stage. By using a synthetic agent or Irish moss as an alternative, you can brew a beer that’s 100 percent cruelty-free and safe for vegan consumers!
The Importance of an Inclusive Menu
Inclusivity plays a vital role in the food and beverage industry. As consumers become more diverse in their dietary preferences and requirements, businesses that cater to these varying needs stand to gain a competitive advantage. For instance, offering options like vegan beer demonstrates an understanding and respect for the lifestyle choices of a significant portion of the population. It signals to customers that your brewery values all patrons, regardless of their dietary preferences.
Vegan beer can be a powerful tool for attracting more customers and boosting business. The number of people following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is on the rise, and even those who are not strictly vegan often favor establishments that offer plant-based options. By brewing vegan beer, your brewery can tap into this growing market, potentially increasing patronage and revenue.
Knowing how to brew a vegan beer in your brewery allows brewers to experiment with different flavors and ingredients while also catering to a wider audience. As the demand for vegan options continues to rise, breweries that offer vegan beer are likely to see increased customer interest and loyalty.
For more vegan information, news, tips, and recommendations, keep up with SoFlo Vegans! We’re your one-stop-shop for all things vegan in Southern Florida.
Help Us Continue to Grow
Take any of the following actions to stay involved and help us reach our goals. Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social: Facebook, Facebook Group, Instagram, Twitter, Meetup, and Linkedin. Subscribe on YouTube and help us reach 1,000 subscribers.