The Drinking Vegan    By Carolyn Tate   Being vegan means sometimes giving up fun stuff. Of course, those of us who have made the leap don't mind doing it because we believe in that choice. Sacrificing traditional milkshakes, ice cream and chocolate is an obvious step, but there are animal-derived ingredients hidden everywhere. If you are sitting back with a cold beer or a glass of wine as you read this article, you have reason to be concerned.   Phil Gagen is a viticulturalist and wine educator in the Yarra Valley, one of Australia's most prolific wine-growing regions. He claims that more often than not, the wine you are drinking has been filtered using one of various methods available - all involving animal products of some kind.   "When wine is first made - even after it's been through a stringent straining process - it's cloudy-looking," said Phil. "We use a product that will gather the tiny particles and set them on the top in a solid mass, and then it's just a matter of skimming it off." Phil admits that it is all about looks. "The customer demands a clean wine - there's just no other reason for us to bother with the process."   So what products do wine makers use to clarify - or fine as I have learnt they say in the wine world - their products? Phil says the most common product is called isinglass finings, which is a type of gelatin made from the bladders of fish. Other products used include a product called chitin, which is made from crustacean shells, and egg albumen. All do a similar job and, Phil says, are removed before the wine is bottled. But for vegans who are concerned not just about consuming animal derived products, but about animals being exploited by the production of products, this is bad news indeed.   Now, there is no need to panic and cut the delights of a glass or two of wine from your life. Not all wines have been fined using these methods - just most. Phil suggests trying wines that have been certified as organic. "I've never come across an organic wine maker that does it [uses animal products in the fining process], but you still should ask. That's the problem - you can't tell just by looking at it." The other good news that Phil offered is that once you have found a wine you like that is vegan, your options should increase. "Generally a wine maker will use the same practices across the board for all of their wines - both red and white. If you've found one wine that is suitable, chances are that everything else under that label will be as well." But Phil doesn't want to be responsible for you being misled. "Please, never assume anything and always ask questions - always."   But surely beer is okay, right? Well...   Carla Shepherd has recently started her own boutique brewery in Melbourne , called Tiny Bubbles, after working for two of Australia's major brewers over the past fifteen years. Carla has more bad news.   "When beer is initially brewed it is cloudy," said Carla. "Historically, your average beer drinker has preferred a lighter clearer lager, so measures have always been taken to provide it. The beer was filtered using charcoal, or sometimes a modified casein product." Just so that we are clear, that's charcoal made from bones and casein derived from cows' milk.   As with wine, the products are removed from the beer before it is made available for consumption. Carla is quick to point out that in the last few years, there has been a movement towards cloudy beers, and also that some breweries have found alternative means of clarifying their beer. This has resulted in the good news that a vegan should be able to find a suitable beer in any bar.   Don't assume that because your beer looks cloudy or dark that it hasn't been filtered. One of the world's most famous dark cloudy beers, Guinness, is not vegan, or even vegetarian, thanks to the charcoal used in its filtration process. The up-side is that brewery staff tend to be aware of what is going into their concoctions, so the information is relatively easy to obtain. As with wine, often one acceptable beer will lead to a whole lot more from the same company. This information may lead to disappointment if you find that your favorite beer is no longer an option for you, but just think of the fun you will have finding a new favorite!  One last word of advice: don't rely on the bartender for your information - this stuff isn't written on the label. Research is your only weapon, so call up breweries and wine makers in your part of the world, or visit their websites. You may struggle at first to find someone who even knows the answers to your questions, but once you have that knowledge, you can go for a beer or order wine in a restaurant, with the power to make a choice in favor of cruelty-free production in line with your beliefs.