August 2006

Cheers! Golden Promise Wins Best Veggie Pint Award

The Vegetarian Society is delighted to announce the winner of its award for the Best Vegetarian ‘Pint’ (beer/lager) 2006. Golden Promise bottled beer, brewed by the Caledonian Brewing Company, proved to be number one choice.

Not all beer and lager is vegetarian. In fact, a number of alcoholic beverages contain, or are produced, using animal products. Many beers, lagers and wines are clarified or "fined" by adding isinglass (derived from the swim bladders of fish) or other animal products such as gelatine.

The winning ale, made entirely from organic materials, is certified by The Soil Association. Uniquely, the malts used in its production are floor-malted following traditional methods giving a slightly spicy and vanilla flavour.

Golden Promise beat four other vegetarian ‘pints’ to take the crown following a public vote that resulted in a short-list and a final taste-testing by a judging panel to choose the final winner. It is the second time that Golden Promise has won the award, having received it before in 2002.

Collette Walsh, spokesperson for The Vegetarian Society, said: “We congratulate The Caledonian Brewing Company for producing such a popular pint, as well as their responsible production practices.”

On hearing the news that Golden Promise had won the award for the second time, Stephen Crawley, Managing Director of the Caledonian Brewing Company, said: “This is great! What makes this award truly special is that Golden Promise was put forward in a public vote, so those that really enjoy the taste of the beer were moved to nominate it in this category, which is recognition alone.”

But Budweiser Refuse to Join in the Party…

Despite their vegetarian customers voting in droves, Budweiser lager passed over being one of our finalists. The Vegetarian Society approached the popular lager’s parent company Anheuser-Busch to inform them that the public had nominated their lager into the final. However, a representative told us that they did not wish to take part! So, the award for the Most Ungracious Brewer goes to Bud!

EDITORS NOTES

• The Vegetarian Society’s Awards are highly regarded in the food and drinks industry. They promote the best practice among caterers, manufacturers and retailers, and highlight the importance of integrity in the vegetarian market place.

• Why label it vegetarian?
The lack of labeling on consumer produce (including alcohol) makes life difficult for the UK’s three million-plus vegetarians, as well as vegans and those with food allergies too (notably seafood allergies). For information on the Seedling Symbol, which signifies official approval from The Vegetarian Society, please go to www.vegsoc.org/business/corporate

• The short-list for this year’s award included some well known brands as well as a number from emerging independent breweries. Voting took place over a three-month period with the public nominating their favourite beer, lager or ale (bottled and draft) on our website and via our members’ magazine The Vegetarian.

The short-list was as follows:

For more information about The Vegetarian Society Awards, please contact Collette Walsh, Press Officer, on 0161 925 2012 or email: (collette@vegsoc.org),
Out of hours contact: 07973108165