cream ale
noun
plural cream ales
: a pale, light-bodied American ale that is typically lagered and often brewed with corn or rice
Cream ales are relatively rare among craft breweries, and the style name in and of itself is confusing. Cream ales contain no cream, and, in fact, are not all that smooth in mouthfeel.—
Carla Jean Lauter
Carla Jean LauterCream ale is a style born of immigration and competition. Before the mid-1800s, American brewing was centered on making English-style ales. The 1840s, though, saw a large influx of immigrants from Germany who brought lager brewing with them. … Facing this new competition, the ale brewers responded by essentially creating an ale-fermented version of German pale lagers.—Michael Agnew
Michael AgnewExamples of cream ale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Louie's Resurrection will be tapped at 2 p.m., and another unique brew, Milwaukee Brewing Co.'s Outboard cream ale infused with peach rings, will be tapped at noon.
—Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 15 Oct. 2024
Beers: Butterfly Wings (New England IPA), Uncut Gem (amber lager), St. Claire (cream ale) and more.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 11 June 2024
San Francisco and San Leandro’s 21st Amendment Brewery brought home a gold medal for its Amendment Lager in the American-style cream ale category.
—Jay Brooks, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
Sunny Vibes, Northern Pine Brewing, Oceanside, cream ale category.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Liquid Intrusion’s South of D.C. cream ale accompanied by a smash burger with mumbo sauce?
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Not a dumb blonde, this cream ale is surprisingly refined.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2023
Lion's Tale's popular beers include IPAs, Oktoberfest, cream ale and lagers.
—Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2022
Brewed in collaboration with Everything Cincy, Queen City Crown is a cream ale brewed with honey and aged with peaches.
—Matt Koesters, The Enquirer, 27 May 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 15 Oct. 2024
Beers: Butterfly Wings (New England IPA), Uncut Gem (amber lager), St. Claire (cream ale) and more.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 11 June 2024
San Francisco and San Leandro’s 21st Amendment Brewery brought home a gold medal for its Amendment Lager in the American-style cream ale category.
—Jay Brooks, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
Sunny Vibes, Northern Pine Brewing, Oceanside, cream ale category.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Liquid Intrusion’s South of D.C. cream ale accompanied by a smash burger with mumbo sauce?
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Not a dumb blonde, this cream ale is surprisingly refined.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2023
Lion's Tale's popular beers include IPAs, Oktoberfest, cream ale and lagers.
—Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2022
Brewed in collaboration with Everything Cincy, Queen City Crown is a cream ale brewed with honey and aged with peaches.
—Matt Koesters, The Enquirer, 27 May 2022
Dictionary Entries Near cream ale
Cite this Entry
“Cream ale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cream%20ale. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share