Vegan and going to the Toronto Beer Festival.

If you live in Toronto you will have noticed the Toronto Beer Festival posters around the city. I know I have. I like beer events, because of the same reason I like food events. The celebration of flavours and fun, and interacting with people that make the product happen, while learning about new options, or future varieties is exciting. The Ontario Craft Beer week was last month, and despite my lack of interest in the large quantities of meat promised at the Toronto Beer Festival, I am really looking forward to all the beer and meeting some of the brewers.

Picture used under CC, via Greg Clow on Flickr.

There will be over 60 brewers featuring more than 200 brands from all over the globe participating in this event, and a special section will showcase exclusively Ontario craft brewers.

So, why wouldn’t beer be vegan friendly?

Sometimes during the manufacturing process alcoholic drinks can contain things like milk, eggs, honey, or get processed or filtered with animal derived products like isinglass, egg albumin, or geletin.

Some people don’t care, some people do care, some people don’t even consider it. Do what you’d like to with this information.

Why am I making a list of vegan friendly brewers and products at the Toronto Festival of Beer?

1. Because I’m going to the festival, I am vegan, and I want to drink without thinking about potentially unethical ingredients and processes.
2. Because I like supporting brewers, producers, and distillers of products that also happen to be vegan friendly.
3. General curiosity.

So who’s going to be there, and what are they showing off?

You can see the full Exhibitors list here on the Toronto Festival of Beer exhibitors page. My list will contain the companies I’ve heard back from, or companies I’ve researched one way or another. The Source of information will be listed, next to the beer, where you can see more information and determine whether the answer works for you.

• Asahi Beer – Asahi Premium Black Lager “Kuronama” Beer, Asahi Super Dry Beer, Banks Caribbean Lager (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.– Festivale Altbier, Lug-Tread Lagered Ale (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Beer Barons – King Pilsner, King Vienna Lager, Thornbury Cider, Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier
• Black Oak Brewing – Black Oak Nut Brown Ale, Black Oak Pale Ale, Black Oak Summer Saison, specialty cask (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Brick Brewing Company – Waterloo Dark, Waterloo IPA, Waterloo Amber (Barnivore – All beers not labelled as a honey beer are vegan)
• Cool Beer Brewing – Cool Lager, Duggan’s #9 IPA, Millenium Buzz Beer, Stonewall Light
• Coors Light (Vegan, except for honey or stouts – Barnivore)
• Creemore Springs Brewery – Creemore Springs Kellerbier, Creemore Springs Lager, Creemore Springs Pilsner, Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale (Vegan – Email/Barnivore. I received one of the most thoughtful replies of any company during this process, and I appreciated it quite a bit.)
• Estrella Damm Lager (Vegan – Email/ Barnivore)
• F&M Brewery/Stone Hammer Beers – Stone Hammer Dark Ale, Stone Hammer Light, Stone Hammer Pilsner (Vegan – Email response from Matthew George, Sales & Marketting at F&M Brewery.)
• Guinness – Guinness (Not Vegan – barnivore), Harp Lager, Kilkenny Traditional Cream Ale (not vegan – barnivore), Red Stripe Lager (Not Vegan – Barnivore), Smithwick’s Ale (not vegan – Barnivore)
• Hogtown Brewers – Hogtown Ale (sent an email – reply by Ken Dubien, the “Doctor of Operations and Resident Beer Geek,” confirms that Hogtown Ale is Vegan Friendly)
• Innis & Gunn – Innis & Gunn Blonde, Innis & Gunn Canada Day 2012, Innis & Gunn Original, Innis & Gunn Rum Finish (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Jack Daniel’s – El Jimador Margarita, El Jimador Paloma, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Jack Daniel’s & Lemonade (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Labatt – (vegan – Barnivore) Alexander Keith’s Dark Ale, Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale, Alexander Keith’s Light Ale, Alexander Keith’s Premium White, Alexander Keith’s Red Amber Ale (vegan – Barnivore) Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime (Vegan – Barnivore) Rolling Rock Extra Pale (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Lake of Bays Brewing Company – Lake of Bays IPA, Lake of Bays, Pale Ale, Lake of Bays Rousse (Vegan – Confirmed Via Email from Company President, Darren Smith)
• McAuslan Brewing – St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale, St. Ambroise Cream Ale, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, St. Ambroise Pale Ale (Vegan – Barnivore)
• McClelland Premium Imports: Affligem Blond Abbey Ale (Vegan – Barnivore), Delirium Tremens (Vegan – Barnivore), Erdinger Weissbier (Vegan – Barnivore), Erdinger Dunkel Weissbier (Vegan – Barnivore), Fruli, Mongozo Premium Pilsener (Vegan – Barnivore), Palm Amber Ale, Stiegl, Stiegl Radler,
• Mill Street Brewery – Mill Street Coffee Porter, Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer, Mill Street Organic Lager, Mill Street Stock Ale, Mill Street Tankhouse Ale, seasonals (Vegan – emailed / Barnivore)
• Miller Chill – (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Minhas Creek Craft Brewing Co. – Boxer Ice, Boxer Lager (Vegan – Barnivore) also, I love that they wrote “I hope that helps, and thank you for the opportunity to be recognized as vegan-friendly.” in their email to Barnivore volunteers.
• Molson Coors Canada – Molson M, Heineken, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Moosehead & Friends – Cracked Canoe, Magners Original Irish Cider, Moosehead Lager (All Moosehead is Vegan – Barnivore), Moosehead Light, Moosehead Light Lime, Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Naturtrüb (Vegan friendly as can or draught – Barnivore, they even mentioned that glass bottle packaging contains cow milk/casein) Tennent’s Lager (not vegan – Barnivore)
• Rickard’s – Rickard’s Blonde, Rickard’s Dark, Rickard’s Original White, Rickard’s Red (is vegan friendly with the exception of anything with “honey” in the name – Barnivore.)
• Spearhead Brewing Company – Hawaiian Style Pale Ale (Vegan – talked to them IRL/ Emailed/Barnivore)
• Steam Whistle – Steam Whistle Pilsner (vegan – Barnivore)
• The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery – Anitgravity Light Ale, Amber Ale, Hoptical Illusion, Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale, Smashbomb Atomic IPA, specialty brands (Vegan, except for any of the ones with Honey in the name – Barnivore)
• Tyskie (Vegan – Barnivore)
• Vincor Canada – Growers 1927, (not Vegan – Barnivore), Sawmill Creek (not Vegan – Barnivore)
• Wellington Brewery – Trailhead Lager, Wellington Arkell Best Bitter, Wellington County Dark, Wellington Imperial Russian Stout, Wellington Iron Duke Strong Ale, Wellington Special Pale Ale (Usually Vegan Friendly with the exception of their “Real Ale or Cask Conditioned product” as in, kegs, bottles, and cans are okay – email/ Barnivore)

Waiting to hear back from:

• Old Credit Brewing Co. Ltd.– Amber Ale, Pale Pilsner
• Premier Brands Ltd – Bavaria 8.6
• United Distributors of Canada – Anchor Steam, Coopers Sparkling Ale, Liberty Ale, Saigon Export, San Miguel, Stowford Press Cider, Tusker Lager
• True North Beer – True North Blonde Lager, True North Cream Ale, True North India Pale Ale
• RJ Brewers – Cheval Blanc
• The 3 Brewers – Blond, Amber, Brown, White, La Triple, La Belle Province, Raspberry Red, Beer of the Month
• HogsBack Brewing Company – Vintage Lager, Sunofa Beach Kristal Wheat, Kilty Bastard Scotch Ale (sent an email – waiting to hear back)

Key Information

Event: Toronto Beer Festival
Website: http://www.beerfestival.ca/
When: July 27th – July 29th
Where: (location details) Bandshell Park in Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
How Much: 38.50 (you can buy tickets online)

Hashtag: #BeerMe