Craft Cream Ale

I see this (Gansett Cream Ale ) at Brewers Outlet, about $33 per case

 

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Empire Brewing make the best cream ale I have ever had.

 

Sun king sun light cream ale and it comes in a 16 oz can to boot

 

Perhaps you are confusing Ballantine India Pale Ale with Ballantine XXX Ale? The former was the "last" surviving US IPA - lasting until the mid 1990's into the Craft era and revival of the style, although dumbed down for the previous two decades.

But Ballantine XXX Ale - the only surviving Ballatine-branded beer - was never marketed as a "Pale Ale". It was created after Repeal (although the pre-Pro Ballantine, when still owned by the Ballantine family, had previously used that particular brand name - at times as either Ballantine XXX Newark Ale or Ballantine XXX Canada Malt Ale) by the new owners and their Burton-trained brewmaster who had brewed at Molson during US Prohibition Era. That ale was modeled after the “light ales” – compared to heavier stock and India pale ales - sparkling/cream ales that had remained popular in Canada (and sometimes “migrated” over the US border in northeast states).

There were hundreds of such US “golden” or “blonde” ales after Repeal and while Ballantine was always the best selling US example, others survived into the 1970’s and the beginning of the Craft era (Lord Chesterfield, Rheingold’s McSorley’s Cream Ale, Carling Red Cap, Black Horse Ale, Ortlieb’s Neuweiler, Pabst Old Tankard, Tiger Head and 20th Century from C. Schmidt’s, Croft and Pickwick which by then were Narragansett products, etc). They were typically much hoppier 25-35 IBU’s – often slightly darker, and more alcoholic (typically between 5-6% ABV) than the same brewers “light lager” beers but otherwise were very “lager like” as far as carbonation levels, etc. (Some were even brewed as “bastard ales” – using lager yeast but at higher than normal fermentation temps).

Yes, it is.

Ballantine closed in 1972, and Falstaff bought the brand names at that time. They brewed the beer in their regional breweries (which included Pearl and General after S&P bought Falstaff in the mid-70s) but the ales initially were brewed primarily at Falstaff's Narragansett subsidiary in RI. They slowly dumbed down the IPA but, while they did tinker with the recipe of XXX at times (mostly changing hop strains and hopping methods and rates), it remained a pretty nice hoppy US style golden ale.

Even after Falstaff's parent company S&P bought Pabst, and eventually close both the Rhode Island brewery and their Ft. Wayne brewery where Ballantine production was moved, Ballantine XXX Ale remained pretty true to the original - even as production moved to Milwaukee and other S&P-owned breweries, and contract breweries (supposedly Stroh/Heileman brewed it at times in the 90s).

The destruction of Ballantine Ale apparently only came with Pabst's (d)evolution into "a virtual brewer" and Miller took over brewing the "ale".

 

I am a huge craft cream ale fan. I've been seeking out good cream ales for the last year or so. One piece of advice, if you frequent bottleshops looking for these beers be carful about freshness. These beers turn quickly due to low abv and sitting on shelves due to unpopularity (of some). Check dates on bottles if available.

Some of my favorites:
Newburgh makes an excellent cream ale although its not sold in bottles/cans (yet).
Triumph makes a cream ale with vanilla and serves it on nitro (available at their brewpubs only). I loved it when on a recent trip to PA.
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice is great if you like sweet cream ales.
Agree with previous posters to not dismiss Genny cream. I enjoy it and I think its MUCH better than Gansett.
Lagunitas used to make a top notch cream called Siruis. Too bad they dont make it anymore.

 

can confirm Spotted Cow bubbler in the office

 

As far as cream ales go, there are none better than new glarus spotted cow

 

Waiting for someone to suggest Palate Wrecker, since it is so similar to a cream ale.

 

My wife loves that stuff! Too bad we can't get it out here.

 

Yeah, look how far off my suggestion was:


Description:
Cream Ales, spawned from the American light lager style, are brewed as an ale though are sometimes finished with a lager yeast or lager beer mixed in. Adjuncts such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. It is no uncommon for smaller craft brewers to brew all malt Cream Ales. Pale straw to pale gold color. Low hop bittering and some hop aroma though some micros have given the style more of a hop character. Well carbonated and well attenuated.

Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-8.0% [ ? ]

View the Most Popular: Cream Ale

 

i once met a nice drunk who said the reason he looked so young was from years and years of drinking Genny cream ale. he said it kept his skin nice and tight. I'm going to keep that in my backpocket and pull that card out when it's deemed necesarry

 

i was recently in maine and sat down to a diesel cream ale called 42 cream ale from marshalls wharf. was very good but much higher abv than normal

 

If that were true, the streets of Rochester would be a much friendlier place.

(disclaimer: this Rochesterian supports your statement - he just doesn't believe it)

 

ouch. $13.99 in my hood and we are way farther from the source.

 

Marshall Wharf Brewing is so good but it's dam pricey.

 

Came here to say this. I love this beer, one of the best examples of the style

 

It took an little extra effort to find a cream ale for me. I finally found some Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice and liked it. I know my local brewery, Beachwood, has some now too, so I'll try that next.

 

newburgh brewing has a cream ale.