Cream ale


Cream ale is a style of American beer that is light in color and well attenuated, meaning drier. First crafted in the mid-1800s at various breweries in the United States, cream ale remained a very localized form with different styles until the early 20th century. During Prohibition in the United States, a great number of Canadian brewers began brewing cream ale, refining it to some degree. Following the end of Prohibition, cream ale from Canada sold well in the United States, reigniting the popularity of the beer.

Style

Cream ale is related to pale lager. They are generally brewed to be light and refreshing with a straw to pale golden color. Hop and malt flavor is usually subdued, but like all beer styles, it is open to individual interpretation, so some breweries give them a more assertive character. Despite the name, cream ales do not contain any dairy products.
While cream ales are top-fermented ales, they typically undergo an extended period of cold-conditioning or lagering after primary fermentation is complete. This reduces fruity esters and gives the beer a cleaner flavor. Some examples also have a lager yeast added for the cold-conditioning stage or are mixtures of ales and lagers. Adjuncts such as corn and rice are used to lighten the body and flavor, although all-malt examples are available from many craft brewers.

Examples

  • A Frame Cream Ale
  • All or Nothing Think Big'Ger Cream Ale
  • Birdy Cream
  • Buckle Bunny Cream Ale
  • Castle Cream Ale
  • Coastie Cream Ale
  • Creole Cream Ale
  • Croydon Cream Ale
  • Genesee Cream Ale
  • Grindhouse Cream Ale
  • Hale's Cream Ale
  • Katie's Cream Ale
  • Kiwanda Pre-Prohibition Cream Ale
  • Muskoka Cream Ale
  • Newburgh Cream Ale
  • Post Road Detour
  • Premium Cream Ale,
  • Retro Styles Pre-Prohibition Cream Ale
  • Riser Cream Ale
  • Schoenling Little Kings
  • Scoop Dog
  • Session Cream Ale
  • Sleeman Cream Ale
  • Sunlight Cream Ale
  • Unicorn Milk
  • Bearded Prospector Pre-Prohibition Cream Ale