Cream Ale
A pale, light, smooth American ale brewed to rival the pale lager, crisp and easy drinking.
About the Cream Ale style
The cream ale is an American style developed by ale brewers to compete with the pale lagers that came to dominate the market. It uses ale yeast, and sometimes a touch of lager yeast or cold conditioning, to make a smooth, pale, crisp beer.
Corn or rice adjunct lightens the body, and the finished beer is easy drinking and refreshing, a bridge between the ale and lager traditions.
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.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: Pale malt, often with maize or rice adjunct, for a light, crisp, smooth body.
Hop character: Low hopping for a subtle balance.
Yeast and fermentation: A clean ale yeast, sometimes with a lager yeast or cold conditioning, for a crisp, lager-like finish.
A typical Cream Ale runs 4.2 to 5.6% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 8 to 20 IBU and a colour of 2.5 to 5 SRM. It is traditionally served in a shaker pint. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Serving and carbonation
Serve a cream ale cold, around 4 to 6 degrees Celsius, with a moderate to high carbonation, like the pale lager it was built to rival. It is a crisp, refreshing beer best served fresh and cold.
Fermentation in brief
A clean ale yeast fermented cool, in the mid teens Celsius, then cold-conditioned, gives the crisp, smooth, lager-like finish. Some brewers ferment with a lager yeast or blend the two; the aim is a clean, neutral beer with no ale fruitiness.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Genesee Cream Ale, Sixpoint Sweet Action and New Glarus Spotted Cow. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Strength (ABV) | 4.2 to 5.6% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 8 to 20 |
| Colour (SRM) | 2.5 to 5 |
| Traditional glass | Shaker pint |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Set up your Cream Ale on tap
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines · Wikipedia