Cork’s stouts are now vegan friendly: cheers to Beamish and Murphy’s
Beamish and Murphy’s, Cork’s two famous stouts, are now vegan friendly after Heineken Ireland confirmed it no longer uses isinglass. Time to raise a glass. 🍺
By Cork Vegans2 min read
Big news for vegans in Cork. Beamish and Murphy’s, the two stouts the city is famous for, are now listed as vegan friendly on Barnivore, the independent online guide to vegan drinks.
For years, a pint of either one was off the menu for many of us. The reason was isinglass, a fining agent made from fish that brewers use to clear yeast out of beer. As far back as January 2009, Heineken Ireland told Barnivore that although they believed the finings were fully removed during brewing, they couldn’t call Beamish suitable for vegetarians or vegans because finings were part of the process. The same answer came back in 2018 and 2024.
That has now changed. In August 2026, Heineken Ireland confirmed to Barnivore:
“Beamish and Murphys are both vegan friendly as we no longer use isinglass.” [1]
It wasn’t a straight road. Early in 2026 the answers Barnivore received were mixed, with one reply in April still saying isinglass was in use. A follow-up that same month cleared it up, with the company saying its lab had checked and that “they confirmed that the stouts are now vegan friendly.” [2] The August email then confirmed it again, and Barnivore’s volunteers double-checked both listings.
Why this matters for Cork
These aren’t just any stouts. Both are brewed by Heineken Ireland at Lady’s Well Brewery on Leitrim Street, and generations of Corkonians have argued over which is the better pint. Now vegans can finally join that argument properly, with a glass in hand.
It also shows that asking works. Barnivore’s record is built on people writing to companies and asking the question, again and again, sometimes for over 15 years. Every one of those emails helped get us here.
Raise a glass with us
Come along to one of our socials and toast the news with a Beamy or a Murphy’s. Check our Events page for what’s coming up, and join our WhatsApp community to stay in the loop.
Sláinte!
Sources
[1] Barnivore, Beamish Genuine Irish Stout: https://www.barnivore.com/products/71775-beamish-genuine-irish-stout
[2] Barnivore, Murphy’s Irish Stout: https://www.barnivore.com/products/46862-murphys-irish-stout
