Vegans Will Soon Be Able to Enjoy Guinness Stout Guilt-Free

Your food might be vegan—but is your beer?

According to Eater, beer makers have long relied on isinglass, a translucent gelatin that’s taken from the swim bladders of fish, to help clarify the beverage. Thanks to new filtration technologies, isinglass isn't as commonly used in the brewing process as it once was. However, one brewery that still uses the fishy ingredient is Guinness, much to the consternation of vegans across the globe. And while isinglass is mostly removed from the final product, “minute quantities” of the substance might still remain in your beverage, according to a statement by the beer maker obtained by Smithsonian.

Now, animal advocates will soon be able to sip on their stouts guilt-free. Guinness just announced that it’s switching over to a vegan-friendly filtration plant. “Whilst isinglass is a very effective means of clarification, and has been used for many years, we expect to stop using it as the new filtration asset is introduced,” a representative for Guinness told The Times of London.

According to The Independent, the brand’s new, bladder-free brew will be available sometime in 2016. A beer that everyone at the table can enjoy together, regardless of dietary restrictions? That's something we can all toast to.

[h/t Eater, The Independent]