Vegan beers were once considered a fad. Now they are part of the fabric of the beer industry. Why? More of us are opting to be vegan. 400,000 people signed up for Veganuary in 2020. That’s 150,000 more than the year before. Furthermore, Sainsbury’s have estimated that 25% of the UK could have turned vegan or vegetarian by 2025.

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On the beer scene, the Society of Independent Brewers’ reported that 12.8% of their brewers are working to make their entire beer range vegan-friendly. This means making a conscious effort to stop using animal products, animal additives or animal processing agents in their production to filter their beer.

None of my recommendations below use animal products to filter their beer, so in many cases they're hazy. In fact, the days of drinkers being shocked by a cloudy beer are behind us.

For more like this, visit our reviews section and find over 400 expert reviews, including the best beer dispensers, best gluten-free beer and the best beer gifts.

Best vegan beer to buy at a glance

Best vegan beer to buy

Stiegl’s Grapefruit Radler

Stiegl grapefruit radler in a can

Best fruity beer
ABV: 2%

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This one is a livewire. It’s amber-coloured and cloudy, with a lip-smacking tang: a mix of the famous Austrian brewery, Stiegl’s flagship Goldbräu beer combined with soda made with natural grapefruit. The very low bitterness makes this a real thirst quencher.

The German translation of ‘radler’ is ‘cyclist’, and this is often referred to as a ‘bicycle beer’ because cyclists prefer to drink it as they cycle the Alps.

So why not let it revive you after a big exercise routine? At 170 calories per can, and only 2% ABV, it is a vegan taste sensation.

Purity Brewing Co Bunny Hop Hazy pale ale

Purity Bunny Hop beer in a can

Best hazy vegan beer
ABV: 3.5%

This delicious low strength beer from Purity is as fun to drink as its motorbiking bunny logo suggests. It is unfiltered with added oats, which accounts for the haziness when you pour.

With the pour comes a floral and tropical aroma from the combo of El Dorado, Centennial and Azacca hops.

The lower alcoholic strength does not mean it is not complex or full of flavour. On the contrary, this ingenious vegan brew is smooth, fruity and super quaffable.

Available from:
Purity Brewing (£10, 4 x 330ml)

Cervecera Artesana brewery Palax Session IPA

Palax IPA beer in a bottle

Best Spanish IPA
ABV: 4%

This cheeky little IPA from north east Spain gives a nod to the region's style. Courtesy of the Cervecera Artesana brewery in the Rioja region, they draw water for their brews from the upper Iregua river basin.

Palax is a pale golden session, and one which – although packed with hop stars like Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo, Sorachi Ace and Cascade – offers a gentle aroma of lemon on the nose, finished off by a satisfyingly sharp, clean bitterness.

It is even more of a delight when you pair it with some tapas like patatas bravas or champinones rellenos.

Available from:
Northern Wine & Beer Co (£50, 24 x 330ml)

Siren Lumina session IPA

Siren Lumina pale ale in a can

Best English IPA
ABV: 4.2%

This unfiltered beer is a tropically fruity number that pours cloudy, and offers the most delicious mango notes as it lands in the glass. I get pineapple flavours in the mouth, followed by a light sweetness, closing on a short bitterness.

Part-time beer drinkers and beer geeks alike will fall under its spell. Chinook and Mosaic are among the new world hops in the mix, befitting of the IPA style. Berkshire-based Siren make a cracking array of beers with groovy can art, reflecting their ethos that their beers have a magical quality, just like the sirens of Greek mythology.

Available from:
Laithwaites (£25.20, 12 x 330ml)
Amazon (£2.30, 330ml)
Siren Craft Brew (£22.70, 12 x 330ml)

Adnams Kobold English Lager

Adnams Kobold lager in a bottle

Best English lager
ABV: 4.7%

Kobold is the new kid on the block from Southwold brewery Adnams, the makers of the famous ‘Broadside’ and ‘Ghost Ship’ beers.

As English lagers go, this is very impressive, with Hertfordshire and Kent Goldings hops and local extra pale malted barley and wheat in the mix. You should get grassy, bready and honey notes on the nose, then a very lightly sweet, yet robust crispness in the mouth.

The beer is named after the legend Kobold: a water spirit that protects sailors on the North Sea. It makes perfect sense that this environmentally conscious, energy-efficient brewery based close to the gorgeous Southwold coast has partnered with the Blue Marine Foundation, which works to stop destructive fishing practices in offshore marine protected areas.

Available from:
Adnams (£22.99, 12 x 500ml)
Waitrose (£2, 500ml)
Ocado (£2, 500ml)

Einstok Arctic Icelandic pale ale

Einstock Arctic pale ale in a can

Best triple-hopped ale
ABV: 5.6%

Triple-hopping is all the rage and the Icelanders have joined in. This pale ale is packed with Cascade, Northern Brewer and Hallertau hops.

It envelops your mouth in a refreshing crispness which quickly morphs into a sweet, almost molasses-like finish. It's extremely hard to put down.

The Einstok brewery is based just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in the fishing port of Akureyri, drawing on the glacial waters which flow down from the Hlíðarfjall Mountain.

Available from:
Waitrose (£2.20, 330ml)
Ocado (£2.20, 330ml)

Wooha Brewing Hop Piñata IPA

Hop Pinata beer in a bottle

Best for
ABV: 6.2%

This is a big bold beast of a beer in a little bottle. Fruity, rich, sweet, toasty and spicy, it is a real delight. It packs a punch when it comes to hops too: Pilgrim, Chinook, Summit and Tradition are in the concoction from this outfit founded and led by head brewer, Heather Macdonald.

Add in the Speyside water that local whisky distilleries also draw on and you have a lip-smacking combo of a beer. This is a decadent brew that should be respected: sip alongside nibbles or a large slab of vintage cheddar.

Available from:
Wooha Brewing (£30, 12 x 330ml)

Duvel Belgian Strong Ale

Duvel beer in a bottle with a glass in background

Best strong vegan beer
ABV: 8.5%

Not only is this beer a global superstar of Belgian beers due to the many World Beer Awards it has won over the years – but it also comes from the family brewery Duvel Moortgat, which in 2021 will celebrate 150 years of brewing.

Cloves and banana bread aromas waft onto your nose as soon as you open and pour. A beautifully balanced hit of honeyed sweetness and hop bitterness from the Slovenian and Czech hops combine to envelop your tongue in a wave of creamy decadence.

Not a beer for the faint hearted or overly thirsty, at 8.5% ABV, your Duvel must be treated with reverence. It should not be rushed.

Available from:
Amazon (£39.95, 12 x 330ml)
Beer Hunter (£36.95, 12 x 330ml)
Waitrose (£2.10, 330ml)

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This review was last updated in November 2022. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly.

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