<p> Is that fish in your pint drinking or drowning?</p><p>Real ale. For those of us who love it, no drink tops the pleasure of our favourite pint. But how many of us realise that most cask ales are made using fish – and endangered fish at that? </p><p>In fact, most cask ales are clarified, or 'fined', with isinglass. 'Fining' removes sediment (mostly suspended yeast, and tiny particles from hops and malt) to produce a crystal-clear ale. Isinglass is a form of the protein, collagen, extracted from the swim bladder of a fish. Isinglass can be made from fish of various species, such as the ‘critically endangered’1, Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso), or the over-fished and ‘vulnerable’2 Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).</p><p>It is quite possible for cask ales to be clarified without using isinglass. Other animal-derived products, such as dried blood, gelatine from animal hooves, albumin from egg and casein from milk are also sometimes used. Plant and mineral derived fining agents include agar-agar, carrageenan, alginate, pectinase, bentonite clay, mica, diatomaceous earth and activated carbon. Other clarification options include filtration, centrifuging and gravity-settling of yeast or ‘yeast beads’. </p><p>Arguments rage over which give the ‘best’ finished pint. But it’s clear that the use of animal-derived finings excludes many from the pleasures of real ale, such as vegans, other vegetarians, many on religious diets and anyone else who doesn’t like the idea of ale treated with fish, hooves, blood, eggs,</p><p>1 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List, Huso huso http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/10269/0 2 IUCN Red List, Gadus morhua http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/8784/0 milk etc. The Real Ale for All group, RAFA3, estimates that at least 5 million residents of the UK are affected. </p><p>The Campaign for Real Ale (CamRA4) has long argued that brewers should declare all the ingredients they use in ale production. But this is still not required, neither in EU nor in UK law. </p><p>So, most real ale lovers quaff in ignorance. Many consider their favourite tipple to be a ‘natural product’ of a natural brewing process. Brewing using ‘fish guts’ seems to undermine this philosophy. Isinglass often contains sulphur dioxide-based preservatives, too. </p><p>Removing animal-derived finings from the real ale production process would have clear benefits for drinkers, and for animals such as endangered fish species. What is good for real ale drinkers should be good for the real ale producers, too. </p><p>The Vegan Society are working with Birmingham CamRA to have a vegan- friendly bar at the Birmingham real ale festival in October 2010. This will show off some of the excellent ales already available which don’t rely on animal- derived finings. Indeed, it could be argued that a slightly hazy, unclarified pint is, of all ‘real ales’, the most real of all. </p><p>Amanda Baker, PR & Media Officer, The Vegan Society</p><p>3 Information from Real Ale for All Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=22613765137 4 The Campaign for Real Ale have a vegan ales list on their Web site: http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=309161</p>