Cream Ale is an American beer that combines aspects of beer and lager brewing. It has a mild flavor and a rich, creamy texture and is typically served very cold. Cream ales come in two varieties and were developed in the late 1800s.
Cream Ale is an American beer characterized by a delicate flavor, a smooth texture and a refreshing finish. Cream beers actually come in two varieties: beers served with nitrogen, which creates a distinctly creamy texture, and beers brewed to resemble the German beer known as Kölsch. Kölsch is known for its pale golden colour, mild flavor and very creamy texture.
Brewers describe cream ale as a “hybrid beer,” because it combines aspects of both beer and lager brewing. Cream ales were developed in the late 1800s by brewers who wanted to combine the rapid fermentation process of beer with the taste and mouthfeel of lager, a beer that takes longer to ferment and mature. Cream ale is brewed with top-fermented yeast, like other beers, but is then stored at low temperatures for conditioning, like lagers.
The result is a pale yellow to straw yellow beer with a very mild flavor and a rich, creamy texture. Pale ale tends to be light on hops, and the flavor can be further mellowed with the addition of corn during the brewing process. The beer tends to hover around five percent ABV by volume and is designed to be refreshing without being overly aggressive.
Lager was one of America’s original beers, developed by brewers who took European brewing techniques in entirely new directions. The success of the cream ale has encouraged brewers to develop other uniquely American beers, and now a plethora of similar beers can be found on the market, in a huge range of styles and flavors. Cream ale itself is much more diverse than it used to be, thanks to advances in brewing techniques and changing tastes.
Cream ale is typically served at very cold temperatures, which inhibits the flavor. A particularly fine lager may be enjoyed at a cool temperature, which will allow the flavor of the beer to develop a little more, but lager should not be served hot or lukewarm. Keeping in mind that this beer was developed as a refreshing drink, colder temperatures tend to be better as well as being more historically accurate, as many cream beers don’t have much flavor to dampen in cold temperatures.
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