If you’ve read our post on American Lager, you already know that tracing the history of a single style can often tell you a lot about the history of a place. Cream Ale is one of the few styles brewed today that existed before prohibition, and tracing its history gives us a unique window into the development of American beer over the last two and a half centuries.

Having come from the British islands, many of the early American colonists brought the ale brewing tradition they knew to the new world with them. Colonial Era beer was therefore most commonly brewed with top-fermenting yeast, mirroring standard practice in England at the time. With the increase in German immigrants in the early and middle nineteenth century, the demand for lager rose sharply, and August Busch was happy to oblige (see our post on American Lager for more). The explosion of pale lager’s popularity prompted American ale brewers to create beers that might capitalize on the trend. Pale in color, relatively light in body, and easy-drinking like the lagers of the day, Cream Ales were conceived of and brewed as competitors with a bit of flair.

After prohibition, American ale brewers returned to the style, which scrappily stuck around through the beer desert that was post-war America. Krueger Cream Ale was the first beer to be packaged in cans in 1935, and Genesee Cream (that’s “Jenny” to anyone who’s played Edward 40 Hands) was first brewed in 1960, and continues to be a not-so-guilty pleasure for craft lovers everywhere (myself included). In the past 5-10 years, many craft brewers have re-visited the style as an alternative offering to the flavorful and boozy beers that typically fill their taps. The story continues today as brewers (ourselves included) experiment with Cream Ales by making stronger versions, souring them, and conditioning them on fruit, all brewing techniques that are popular beyond the Cream Ale itself.

The name itself is admittedly confusing, and especially so in a world where you can find lactose in just about any style. Traditionally, these beers don’t contain dairy. The name might refer to the easy, light-bodied mouthfeel associated with the style, or it might be a hold-over from the United Kingdom’s “cream ale,” referring only to creamy texture derived from nitrogenation (to further confuse things, cask beers in the UK aren’t actually nitrogenated, they’re just carbonated much more lightly than American beer). 

Cream ale is the classic American summertime lawnmower beer for people who can’t bring themselves to buy Bud or Miller. The best versions are delicate, lightly aromatic brews that can be downed by the pint, but also offer a small amount of interest and intrigue.