Not long ago I found out read that my go-to all-purpose draft beer, Guinness, contains high-fructose corn syrup. Corn (or maize as we say in the UK) does not belong in beer. High-fructose corn syrup doesn’t belong in anything. I no longer drink Guinness. [Important ETA: please see tomorrow’s blog post. Guinness does not contain maize/corn in any shape or form. I was wrong. Sorry.]
I’ve since investigated the ingredients of other beers. By investigate I mean I go to the website of the manufacturer–I use the term advisedly; some of these companies don’t deserve the title of brewer–and read the posted ingredients. If the language is weaselly, “We use the best ingredients such as…” or “Our key ingredients are…” rather than “We use only the following ingredients…” I email the company directly and ask. It’s not hard. I recommend trying it for your favourite beer/s.
If you drink microbrews/craft beer, you’re probably fine–as long as it really is a microbrew you’re drinking, not something that used to be a microbrew but is now owned by a mega conglomerate. But I tend to drink beer for gulpability–that wonderful combination of taste and volume that is so satisfying at the end of a hard-working day. I’m not a fan of anything over 6% alcohol by volume and prefer weaker than that–one of the reasons I used to love Guinness so much (it’s only about 4%).
I’ve always found American big-label beverages (yes, I’m being very specific with my word choice today) unpleasant so I didn’t even bother checking brands such as Bud Light, Coors, Rolling Rock, or Miller. I dread to think what’s in them. But I did check my always-keep-some-in-the-fridge beer, Corona–and found it’s stuffed with corn. Tuh. It’s now off my party list.
However, I’m pleased to report that the following beers are deliciously pure:
- Fullers ESB
- Grolsch
- Heinken
- Amstel Light
- Oranjeboom
Just thought you should know, seeing as summer is here…
ETA: I don’t know what’s in Timothy Taylor’s, exactly, so I might go so far as to say it’s “pure” (but so-called purity was never my major concern) but their senior brewer has assured me “the sugars we use are not derived from Corn (Maize).” I’m assuming that means just barley, but I don’t know for sure. I’ve asked for more info.
ETA2: I’ll repeat the essence of one of my comments below. I emailed Guinness for confirmation regarding the rumour of corn/maize about three weeks ago and got no response. I emailed them again today and am waiting for a reply.
ETA3: To repeat the in-line ETA above: I was wrong.
Thanks for this info. Terry and I have been looking into this ourselves. Have you found any American beers, other than craft beers, that are not suspect? Speaking of craft beers, we like our Boulevard Pale Ale, from Kansas City.
ro
Neosho, Missouri
No offense, but I don't think it's corn that makes those beers undrinkable. Adjuncts like corn and rice have been used by brewers to both lighten the color and reduce the cost for over 100 years. I agree that HFCS should never be used in anything, but that's quite rare. More often they're used as a substitute for the grain, usually barley, and in liquid form wouldn't work.
I think it's correct to say that all-malt beer is generally more flavorful, but it shouldn't be the reason to automatically discount others. There are a growing number of beers being made today under the umbrella name of “pre-prohibition lager” that use corn, usually, along with a few American regional breweries who have never stopped using corn (Yuengling comes to mind, “America's Oldest Brewery”) and these may not be to your taste, but there's nothing wrong with them. They're often using historic recipes.
A better reason to choose not to drink the beers on your list is that you don't appreciate their flavors, or in most cases, their lack of flavor. While I'm not a fan of those beers either, they are very well-made, from a technical point-of-view. Generally speaking, Miller, Coors and many others use corn, while ABI (Budweiser) uses rice, as do several big Japanese brewers.
I haven't looked…
I discount beer made with corn for two good reasons. One, I think it tastes like shit, though mileage does of course vary. Two, corn is bad for me. For me, there's a lot wrong with it.
I have read, in several sources, that it may be assumed that all corn and corn products grown and manufactured in the US today are genetically modified. This is another good reason, in my opinion, not to consume corn or corn products. And many people and animals are allergic to corn — my dogs, for example.
My partner, Terry, has just spent the afternoon researching the ingredients in born in the USA beers. She has concluded that it's time for us to get back to brewing our own, where we get to select the ingredients.
Nicola, have you ever made your own beer?
Just noting that corn sugar is what is commonly used to prime home brewed beers for natural carbonation, so if you're avoiding corn for medical reasons you may also want to be wary of many homebrews as well as those few small craft brews which advertise themselves as being naturally carbonated or naturally conditioned.
Nope. Only wine. Seems like a huge hassle :) I'd rather just buy it…
Ah, thanks for that info. I've always been wary of homebrews–they've made me seriously unwell in the past. Now I know why!
Nicola, what is your source for the information about HFCS in Guinness? It's not listed as an ingredient on their website, and in the past Guinness has denied its use (I've just emailed them to see what they say now.)
Also, even if they were using it, it would be to feed they yeast during the fermentation process, instead of beet, date, palm, etc. sugars. All of these are molecularly identical, and nearly 100% of them are consumed by the yeast during fermentation.
There's been a fair amount of misinformation about beer ingredients floating around recently, nearly all due to one article being shared on Facebook. Check out the following for more details about what brewers are actually using to brew their beers:
http://blog.timesunion.com/beer/debunking-8-beers-that-you-should-stop-drinking-immediately/2425/
Thank you. I am so glad you made this point and brought up the article with the interviews, debunking and educating on the brewing process.
It's the “nearly” that bothers me. I don't respond well to corn/maize.
I frankly don't care whether the grains in my beer are GMO or not (I'm guessing most grains in the world are now, to some extent). I don't care about isinglass or food-grade clearing agents. I care about the corn.
Like you, I've written directly to Guinness to get an answer. Twice, actually. (Admittedly most recently only this afternoon, but the first time was three weeks ago when I first heard this–what at time I assumed was–nonsense.)
I've had no reply. I had no reply from Stella Artois, either but I like that beer so much I couldn't bear to mention it one way or the other until I was certain.
Does that make me less than impartial? Sadly, yes. Probably. But if I'm wrong about Guinness I'll be so happy I'll be perfectly okay with apologising loud and long to all.
Well, hopefully *one* of us gets a reply we can post here and either rejoice or make lots of sad faces.
My vote? Rejoicing (even though I will feel like an idiot–but, hey, small price to pay)!
Prepare to rejoice! :)
====================
Dear Anthony C. Lanni,
Thank you for taking time to contact Guinness. Your feedback is important to us.
Of the list of unusual ingredients Guinness has been rumored to contain, the only one with a grain of truth is the fish extracted ingredient. Isinglass is sourced from the air bladders of fish and is used as a clarifying agent. The isinglass is removed, but there may be traces in the finished product.
The recipe is proprietary information, but I can tell you that Guinness contains barley, hops, yeast and water.
There is no caramel or food coloring, no high fructose corn syrup and no genetically modified ingredients in Guinness.
Once again, thank you for contacting Guinness.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Guinness Consumer Care Representative
I've asked them for a definitive answer to this question: “Do you use corn/maize at any stage?”
As soon as I have a reply I'll post it.
Very good news about Guinness!
I'm off Corona. I've found a little shop around the corner from me that keeps St. Pauli Girl in stock for a great price. Cheaper than Corona! I think I like it better too. :)