Stella Artois is by far one of the most well-known and iconic beers on the market, served in restaurants, bars, and pubs around the world, but is Stella vegan?
Is Stella Artois Vegan?
The answer is yes, Stella Artois is vegan. This is because it is made from water, malted barley, hops, and yeast, with no animal ingredients or products that are derived from animals being used in the brewing process.
Having said that, we do still recommend that you always check the labels on any beer before buying it, as it is possible that the ingredients could have changed. As you know beer is not always vegan-friendly, however, Stella Artois is one that is.
Stella Artois
Stella Artois is a Belgian lager that has been brewed since 1926. It was originally named after the Christmas star and was brewed as a seasonal beer for special occasions. In the 1950s, its popularity started growing and as a result the company eventually made it available all year round.
The popularity of Stella reached its peak in the 1990s when it was marketed as “the champagne of beers.” Today, it is one of the most popular lagers around the world, having won numerous awards for its taste and quality It is now available in more than 80 countries.
Why is Stella Artois Vegan?
Stella Artois is vegan due to the fact that it does not use any animal products or by-products in its ingredients, production, clarifying, or filtration process. It is brewed using a combination of grains such as barley and wheat which are both vegan-friendly.
Where the problem usually arises for a beer when it comes to being considered vegan or not is during the filtering or clearing process as some beer companies will use animal products. With Stella, their filtration process uses a sterile membrane filter and the edges are polished with rice hulls instead of isinglass, which is a type of collagen. They also do not use animal products such as honey or lactose as ingredients in their beer. As a result, vegans can enjoy this classic Belgian lager without any concerns.
Ingredients in Stella
Stella Artois claims to be brewed with only the finest natural ingredients. Like all beers, it contains 4 main ingredients water, grains (malted barley & maize), yeast, and hops. The hops used are a unique strain called Saaz, which provides it with its subtle bitterness that adds an additional depth to its flavor. Maize (corn) is one of the grains used to make Stella, maize adds lightness to the beer and gives it an extra smooth finish.
Last Call
With just the basic 4 main ingredients used to make beer as well as no animal products used to filter or clarify the beer, you can rest assured that Stella is vegan! Cheers.
P.S. If you make your own beer or wish to start, it is easy to make vegan-friendly beer. Be sure to pick up your gift of Big Robb’s top 5 favorite beer recipes from his brewpub. Details are on the side of the blog or at the bottom if you are on your phone. Enjoy!