Hello again friends! I realized two weeks ago when I was writing about what’s in our fermenters that we never did a style spotlight on the Cream Ale. Since that will be one of the first beers that we offer at Trek, we obviously need to correct that.

The American Cream Ale is a crisp, refreshing ale. It is straw colored, and light bodied. The Cream Ale is a great “gateway” craft beer, as it shares some similarities to the American Light Lager. It’s got subtle hops and malt, and is a great easy drinking beer.

The mid 1800’s brought the American lager revolution. Before this time, American beer was greatly influenced by English style ales (IPAs, Porters, and Stouts). However, around 1850, there was a large German immigration. Wherever the Germans settled, they began brewing and selling beer. Americans quickly became hooked on the German lager style beers. Ale brewers responded to the demand for the German lagers by brewing a top fermenting beer that was very similar. The new beers were named “brilliant” “sparkling” or “present use” beers, but the nickname “cream ale” is what stuck.

People commonly assume that a cream ale will be similar to cream soda. This is a misconception, as the two don’t have anything to do with one another. A cream ale shouldn’t be sweet. However, the cream ale does lend itself to be a great base for other flavors such as a “blueberry cream ale” or an “apricot cream ale”.

John brews Trek’s cream ale true to style. He uses a mixture of corn and pilsner malt to form the base. It’s lightly hopped. The end product is a brilliant straw colored beer that is perfect when you just need something refreshing. Our cream ale is “sessionable”, coming in at 5% ABV. We are so excited for you to come in and have a pint or two!

Cheers!