Did you know Guinness wasn't Vegan-friendly?

Now you do!

Apparently, the process of making Guinness has involved using fish bladders in order to enhance filtration, helping the yeast to settle and give the beer its unblemished, iconic black appearance. Collagen within the fish bladder, known as isinglass, is what works the magic, but it reportedly has no impact on the flavor, texture, or aroma of the beer.

Using an animal byproduct, of course, violates Vegan tenets and principles, so there's a whole bunch of beer fans who aren't allowed to enjoy the classic beer. So, Guinness has decided to change things up after 256 years and begin brewing without isinglass:

The new fish-free filtration process is scheduled to be implemented in 2016.

“Whilst isinglass is a very effective means of clarification, and has been used for many years, we expect to stop using it as the new filtration asset is introduced,” a Guinness spokesman told The Times.

And since I can't think about Guinness without staring at photos of its majestic wonder, here are a bunch of photos of the beer to drool over:

Guinness
(Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Guinness)
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Guinness
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Guinness)
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Even the Prez is getting in on the action!

US President Barack Obama Visits Ireland
(Photo by Irish Government - Pool/Getty Images)
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