Bonn Place Brewing owner Sam Masotto decked out as Krampus and overlooking Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, ready to visit misbehaving patrons at his brewery. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

If you’ve ever been to a brewery taproom and stolen glassware, left your obnoxious kids unattended, or asked for countless samples before buying a beer, your day of reckoning may be here. It’s Krampus season, and Krampus is popping up at more and more breweries around the US, ready to unleash ruthless punishment for all naughty patrons.

The Krampus tradition comes from European communities centered around the Alps (notably in Austria) and features a frightening mythical figure that is a counterpart to St. Nicholas. While St. Nicholas gives treats to children, Krampus punishes them for bad behavior. One form of punishment is a brutal beating with a bundle of birch sticks known as Ruten. Worse than that, one might be thrown in a sack and taken away forever. I’m not sure exactly where you will be taken. Probably Hell. Who knows? Maybe Mar-a-Lago.

Krampus’ appearance is characterized by goat-like horns, a long tongue, furry body, and hooves. The creature may also wear chains and bells. It’s not terribly unlike me in my late teens. I bet Krampus smells better though.

St. Nicholas and Krampus visiting a family. Source: the internet.

During the holiday season, Krampus begins to appear in Europe around December 5th, which is the eve of St. Nicholas' Day. This is the official Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. Each year around this time, there are parades called Krampuslauf, or Krampus run, where people dress up like Krampus, some wearing ornately carved wooden masks, and they march through town beating drums. As it should be, the spectacle is entertaining for some and frightening for others.

Closer to home, more and more breweries are holding their own Krampus events in December. In a shock to no one who knows him, Bonn Place Brewing owner Sam Masotto has donned his very own Krampus costume for the event, which they have been celebrating since 2016.

St. Nicholas serves Krampus a beer in the Bonn Place taproom. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

Bonn will be celebrating this year on December 5th and 6th with food, music, and beer, of course. And though Sam may dress like Krampus, he’s actually more like St. Nicholas. He uses the event to think of others and includes a clothing and coat drive.

Notch Brewing will be in the charitable spirit as well this year for a Krampus event at their Brighton location on December 14th. In addition to several other forms of revelry, they will be collecting toys and gifts for donation. The festivities will also include a Krampuslauf, a Krampus costume competition, and Krampus-themed holiday card making (Krampuskarten.)

Greetings from Bonn Place. Source: Bonn Place Brewing.

Greetings from Krampus. Left image source. Right image source.

In addition to Bonn and Notch, many other American breweries are making Krampus part of their regular holiday festivities. Sacred Profane in Biddeford, Maine, Live Oak Brewing in Austin, Texas, and Wild East Brewing in Brooklyn, New York, just to name a few.    

These celebrations are a relatively recent tradition in the US, and it’s one that presents lots of opportunity. I have some thoughts.

I firmly believe Krampusnacht could be the kickoff to an extended Starkbierzeit. Starkbierzeit is the strong beer season celebrated in Munich during Lent. To me, the perfect beverage for Krampus festivities is a strong and dark lager like Doppelbock. The strength and flavor are perfect for a cold December night. The fact that there’s goat imagery related to Bock beer and Krampus helps solidify this pairing.

A strong beer getting a hot poke in a stein from a bierstacheln at a Notch Brewing Starkbierzeit (strong beer season festival). Source: Notch Brewing.

Celebrations should include fires not only for ambiance, but also to heat metal rods in the bierstacheln tradition, where they’re used to warm a cold beer and nicely caramelize some residual sugars in the malty brews. And forget birch sticks for punishment. The scalding rods can also be used by Krampus to brand some jerk that uses British-style dimple mugs for lager.

As is the case for Starkbierzeit, a proper stein should be used. And not just for drinking. Pound the beer and smash that thing over the head of someone who calls a glass mug a stein.

Let the punishment begin!!!

After a guest hands you a six-pack on their way into your house, you say, “Oh, cool. Yeah, I’ve heard of this brewery.” Though it’s not their thing, they know you’re “into beer”, so they grabbed you something they thought looked interesting.

You crack one open to be polite, but before even tasting it, you’re fairly certain the remaining five are destined to sit in the back of your fridge, ignored and forgotten. Biding their time until their inevitable fate comes. The drain pour.

But now you have to grab a bottle of wine to bring to someone’s party and as a beer nerd not terribly familiar with wine, you’re a little unsure of what to get. Well, I’ve got Ethan Fixell here for assistance. As a beer and wine nerd, Ethan is the perfect person to ask for help.

I gave Ethan six widely available and affordable beer brands that most beer nerds would warmly welcome. Then I asked him to pair each with a wine that is also widely available and affordable. Since comparing wine and beer is often an apples to oranges situation, the idea of “pairing” is just for fun. Don’t take them too seriously. The real goal is to provide a handful of respectable wines that are easy to find and won’t break the bank.  

Here’s what Ethan said for the beers I selected along with some tips he provided at the end to keep in mind when buying wine.

Guinness

Lots of people think of Guinness -- with its iconic creamy texture and notes of roasted barley, coffee, and dark chocolate – as a heavier "dessert" beer. And while it is, indeed, chock full of complexity, at 4.2% ABV and with fewer calories than an average IPA, it's shockingly light on its feet.

Enter Shiraz: This bold grape variety boasts rich dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and often a hint of spice, making it a robust match for Guinness and its roasted notes. However, unlike French "Syrah" (the same grape), when grown in Australia, the resulting varietal wine is far juicier and often -- due to oak aging -- tinged with notes of vanilla and wood.

Recommendation: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, Australia. This classic "down under" Shiraz delivers concentrated dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and a hint of spice -- it's full-bodied, but never feels "heavy." Its fruitiness keeps it buoyant and vibrant.

Allagash White

As a Belgian-style witbier, Allagash White is known for its refreshing citrusy flavors, subtle spice notes, and light body. Similarly, Sancerre, in France's Loire Valley, is renowned for its crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc-based wines that often exhibit vibrant acidity, grassy notes, and a hint of citrus.

Recommendation: Pascal Jolivet Sancerre. This widely available Sancerre is a classic example of the style, with bright acidity and those characteristic grassy, citrusy notes.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -- to many the OG American craft beer -- is celebrated for its hop-forward character, medium body, and light caramel sweetness. While a white wine might seem like the obvious choice for a grape-based stand-in, I've got a particular red in mind that has a lot to offer.

Let's look to Burgundy, perhaps the highest regarded French wine region thanks to its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundian Pinot, specifically, is a lighter-bodied red, and is rich with earthy undertones, red fruit flavors, and a hint of spice. It reminds me of mushroomy, wet ground on the forest floor -- much like the woods at the base of the Sierra Nevada range.

Recommendation: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This widely available and affordable Burgundy is a classic representation of the region/style, and Jadot is as ubiquitous and respected as Sierra Nevada is by beer nerds.

Miller High Life

Miller High Life, the "Champagne of Beers," deserves a sparkling companion that matches its easy-drinking nature and subtle fruit flavors. And this adjunct macro lager may be cheap, but it's still the best of a category. Let's give it the respect it deserves by pairing it with real deal Champers. 

Recommendation: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve, Champagne, France. This non-vintage Champagne offers bubbly effervescence, crisp apple and citrus flavors, and a touch of toastiness (do I detect echoes of the grain used to make Miller High Life?). For Champagne, it's super cheap ($35ish) and you can find it throughout the US.

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner, is celebrated for its crisp, clean flavor, subtle bitterness, and refreshing finish. To complement these characteristics, we head to the sunny island of Sardinia, Italy, home to the Vermentino grape.

Sardinian Vermentino is known for its saline minerality, herbaceous and floral notes, and refreshing acidity, making it a perfect match for the Pilsner's hoppy bitterness and crisp finish.

Recommendation: Sella & Mosca La Cala, Vermentino di Sardegna, is the entry-level wine from one of the oldest and most renowned wineries in Sardinia. Its subtle saline note echoes the mineral character that comes from the soft water used in brewing Pilsner Urquell, while a subtle bitterness and hints of white flowers and rosemary mirror the beer's noble Saaz hops.

Leffe

Leffe Blonde, a Belgian abbey ale, offers notes of banana, clove, and pear, with a touch of honeyed sweetness and a slightly spicy finish. To complement its yeast-driven complexity, we turn to Bordeaux, the renowned French region known for its elegant red blends.

Bordeaux wines, typically dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, offer dark fruit flavors, subtle spice notes, and moderate tannins. The dark fruit in the wine complements the dried fruit notes in the beer, while the wine's subtle spice reflects the clove-like spiciness in Leffe.

Recommendation: Légende Bordeaux. This widely available Bordeaux, produced by the prestigious Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), offers a crowd-pleasing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other Bordeaux varietals that harmonize beautifully, much like the complex flavor components of the Belgian ale.

Wine Shopping Tips

Check the storage conditions: Avoid buying wine from stores that keep their bottles in direct sunlight or excessively warm temperatures. These conditions can damage the wine and lead to off-flavors.

Look for signs of damage: Inspect the bottle for any cracks, chips, or leakage. Also, check the fill level of the wine. A low fill level can indicate that the wine has been exposed to too much oxygen, which can spoil it.

Ask for recommendations: If you're unsure of what to buy, don't hesitate to ask a knowledgeable salesperson for recommendations. They can help you find a wine that suits your taste and budget.

Drink!: At least 90% of all wines are meant to be enjoyed right away. Don't chase older vintages -- which can be more complex but are also more prone to spoilage -- unless you know what you're buying.

Meetinghouse, 2331 E Cumberland St, Philadelphia.

I was in love with Meetinghouse before setting foot in the Philadelphia pub. Opened about a year ago, it quickly became a new classic with its simple and impeccable menu combined with its laidback, welcoming environment. Given the chatter around town and beyond, I’m definitely not the only one in love.

The team that opened Meetinghouse includes folks with great reputations around Philly including Keith Shore, Marty West, Drew DiTomo, and Colin McFadden. Colin and I had previously met through our mutual friend, Jess Reaves.

Though that prior intro to Colin was brief, I saw his incredibly warm, kind, and passionate personality. When Jess told me that Colin was opening a pub, I knew it woud be great.

Colin isn’t the only affable person at Meetinghouse. In something that I like to attribute to Philadelphia, the rest of the team, including his partners and their staff, are down-to-earth, authentic, and kind. It’s a culture, and to be a patron there is to be a part of it. It seeps into your body and warms your soul. That’s a bit dramatic, but a great pub can have that kind of effect.

The aesthetic at Meetinghouse is simple. If you want to experience it as a regular pub, you can do that. It has everything you need. But if you want to pay a little more attention, you’ll notice everything is subtly and stylishly elevated. It’s one of those highly Instagramable spaces, but the place is so captivating that if you actually think to take out your phone, you almost feel guilty.

Baked clams and Creamed Chipped Beef at Meetinghouse.

Highlights from the kitchen for me were the hot roast beef sandwich that manages to be decadent and a little messy without feeling gluttonous, the addictive, garlicky and herbaceous baked clams (I think we had three orders while in town), the tangy green salad that helped me nurse my hangover (it’s comprised solely of greens and a dressing), and the fries. Yes, the fries were a highlight. They’re perfect.  

They have specials throughout the week and it’s frustrating to see them post these on social media when you can’t get there to enjoy. In particular, they do a mussel and frites night, and knowing how good the fries are, I’m sure they’re the perfect vessel to absorb as much mussel broth as possible.

It’s not a typical pub menu, but it is pub grub. High-quality pub grub without being pretentious. The same goes for the beer. Meetinghouse has three house beers designed by Colin and made across the Delaware River at South Jersey’s Tonewood Brewing.

Their marketing makes it simple when describing the beer:

Morning Swim is a Pale Beer.

Mount Pleasant is a Hoppy Beer.

Living Thing is a Dark Beer.

All of these things are true. In just a few simple words, they explain so much. And with simple recipes that are perfectly executed, these beers do so much whether those drinking them see it or not. But I don’t think they’re actually designed to do much besides be enjoyable. The Meetinghouse team is not interested in how many bottlecaps their beers have on Untappd. They just want to make sure their patrons have a solid beer to enjoy in their pub.

So, not surprisingly, they’re all approachable. The use of Kölsch yeast in each beer helps make this happen. It creates simple, easy-drinking beer that straddles the line between lager and ale. They’re all at reasonable ABVs (between 4.9 and 5.6 ABV) and poured in roughly twelve-ounce servings. It’s meant to allow you to have a few in one stop.  

Morning Swim is a pale beer.

Mount Pleasant is a hoppy beer.

Living Thing is a dark beer.

Of the three, Morning Swim is the one most similar to a Kölsch. It’s also reminiscent of a Cream Ale, but more polished. This is high-end lawnmower beer, without feeling gussied up.

Though also a pale beer, Mount Pleasant is a hoppy beer, as advertised. It hits the spot for any reasonable person who claims to like hoppy beer. But if you’re not a hophead, it’s not overly hopped.

Living Thing has a fairly light body, making it somewhat akin to a Schwarzbier, but the flavor profile is a little more nuanced giving hints of Baltic Porter.

In addition to these three, there are two other beers available. Two beers that I personally adore. Guinness and Orval. In a rare instance of chutzpah, Colin proudly notes they serve the best Guinness in Philly. I had one. It was perfect. And while I was there (on a hot summer weekend, mind you), Guinness was regularly being poured.  

The Orval doesn’t move as fast, but we made sure to have some. It’s one of my all-time favorite beers and since they make the effort to stock it, it would have been rude not to have one.

A half dozen pints of Guinness lined up on a hot summer night.

Orval, served by the incredibly kind Al Upshaw at Meetinghouse. (Chcek out Al’s project, Concrete Blues. He’s making cask ale!)

Beyond beer, there’s a brief cocktail list that includes Long Island Iced Tea. Though I was incredibly curious, I didn’t manage to squeeze one in on this trip. I did have an excellent Negroni. Beyond the cocktails, the have a few bottles of staple liquors.

Like the beer menu, there’s a streamlined wine selection. A red, a white, and a sparkling wine. Simple. There’s also a weekly mystery wine. Again, like the beer, these are all interesting but approachable.

Rounding things out, they have the Ploughman cider and a handful of NA options.  

Colin and Jess reunite. Greetings aren’t always this intense at Meetinghouse, but they’re close.

Meetinghouse was our first and last stop on a 24-hour trip to Philly. We grabbed brunch with Brendon from Carbon Copy before heading back to New York. Brendon opened Carbon Copy’s new location in the Port Richmond neighborhood that weekend (another great spot worth checking out. Go for the beer. Stay for the pierogies.) We reminisced while Marty and Colin popped in and out of the conversation before Brendon had to head off for a long day at the new spot.

I watched as Marty warmly greeted customers when they came in. It was hard to tell if they were old friends, regulars, or new customers, but the atmosphere was so relaxed and welcoming that it felt like we could all instantly be friends and join in conversation together. When you enter Meetinghouse, it’s like you’re walking into a get-together in their living room with people that if they’re not already friends, they will be shortly. The warm summer Sunday afternoon called for another Morning Swim and an order of baked clams. It was really hard to leave my new friends at Meetinghouse.

Berwick Brewing, in Berwick, Pennsylvania, avoids the hype, merch, and social media trends that can only go so far for a brewery over time. Perhaps that is why not enough people talk about the unassuming spot making some of the best beer in the country, especially their lager.

I went to Berwick a few weeks back to interview the brewery’s owner, Tom Clark, about the history of lining beer vessels with pitch (a project many of you know I have been working on (and off) for a while, and which is sincerely, actively moving forward. I promise.) Though the topic du jour was pitch, I went home thinking about how fascinating the place was.  

Berwick’s taproom is missing the glitzy bells and whistles that newer breweries have. There’s nothing wrong with these newer taprooms. There are lot of positive things they offer, but Berwick has proven enduring with something different.

It’s the kind of place that feels like it has been around a while, and it has. The brewery was established in 2008, but the building goes back much further, operating as Vaughn’s Bakery for many decades (the exact name of the bakery may have been different.) The brewery’s patina is authentic and part of its charm. For the beer history nerd, it’s also a bit of a mini-museum, but that’s a different story.

There are influences of a Bavarian biergarten, particularly the long, shared tables. This is not surprising as Tom has spent a fair amount of time there over the years. These tables can be found in varying rooms beyond the bar room. This includes a space out in the back that overlooks the Susquehanna River. (You’d think I would have some pictures of the brewery here, but despite taking a wealth of photos related to the whole pitch thing, I have no good photos of the brewery itself. Check out Google Images to get an idea.)

There’s no secret formula to this space. It’s simple and it works. But the beer they serve is world-class. It’s the glue that keeps this third space together. But you don’t need to fuss over it. It’s there for your enjoyment in the background as you share time with others.  

I brought home three lagers and a Cream Ale from my day trip to Berwick. The lagers gorgeously showcase traditional German ingredients. For hops, there’s Tettnang in the Berwick Lager, Spalter Select in the Zwickel Pilsner, and Hallertau in the Hondo Keller Bier. Each of these beers are built on a variety of German malts.

Though I love all of them, I gravitate most toward the Keller Bier with its gorgeous light amber color. And as is my general practice with amber lagers, Berwick recommends it be served in a stein krug (that’s the stone mug. Important to note…Oktoberfest is around the corner. I used a willibecher in the photo above to show off the color.)

Vaughn’s Cream Ale may very well be the best Cream Ale I’ve ever had. It does everything a Cream Ale is supposed to do. It’s a light, crushable beer-flavored beer that doesn’t taste cheap (or fancy). The beer is named after the bakery that previously occupied the site.

To better understand the magic of Berwick, it’s best to go there to experience it.  Sure, it’s in a pretty remote location, but it’s worth the trip if you can make it. Even if you can’t, it’s a reminder to think of other breweries closer to you that you may be overlooking.  

A lineup of Cream Ales from New York State. This includes Genesee Cream Ale, Newburgh Cream Ale, Prison City Cream Ale, La Cream from Aurora Brewing, and a charitable collaboration from Threes Brewing, Finback Brewing, Strong Rope Brewery and Wild East Brewing.

It seems that Cream Ale may survive the pastry-fication era of beer a little rattled, but intact. Maybe more than any other style, it was ripe for complete bastardization as some American brewers in recent years pushed styles to the extreme. However, on a recent trip to the beer store, I saw way more examples of “traditional” Cream Ale than those with adjuncts like marshmallow or guava. And the fact that numerous examples were readily available says something about its relevance (this availability may have a geographical skew here in New York, which has, IMHO, always been the most important state in the history of Cream Ale.)

Like every other style, Cream Ale has evolved. The story most often told of the beer’s origins is that American ale brewers made Cream Ale in the 1800s to compete with the pale lagers that were exploding in popularity at the time. This was done by brewing a very pale, golden ale with a grist bill that included up to or around 30 percent corn or rice and fermented at cooler temperatures like a lager. It’s kinda like the Cold IPA of the 1800s. The truth is that there already was a beer called Cream Ale in the United States before Pilsner Urquell released its highly influential beer in 1842.

John Taylor's Sons' Albany Imperial Cream Ale by John Taylor's Sons' Brewery - 1865. Image source: Biblio.

One of the earliest records of Cream Ale comes from Albany, New York. However, the big headline from the early accounts does not paint a pretty picture of the beer.

Albany’s John Taylor Brewery (the name changed over the years) was called out by Temperance Movement zealot Edward C. Delavan in the 1830s for brewing with a water source that was contaminated by nearby industries, cemeteries, and animals (live and dead). Seeking to defend his business, Taylor filed a libel suit against Delavan. However, it seemed clear that there was some truth to Delavan’s claims, and the court sided with him.

Delavan and his allies used this for their propaganda, notably in the publication called the Cold Water Army Dialogues, published in 1842. In it, there’s a fictional story where a character expresses surprise as he sees someone order an Albany Cream Ale since he thought the person was a member of the Temperance Society. In response, the Cream Ale drinker says, “I am none of your tetotalers…”

The teetotaler proceeds to tell the drinker the story of the Taylor brewery and the trial. (As a side note, in the exchange, one of the characters notes, “I asked why they call it cream ale, and they said it was because it looked yellow, like cream.”) Swayed by the description of the brewery’s practices, the drinker concedes, “…let me see the trial. If it is as you say, I will drink no more cream ale.”

Image source: Tavern Trove.

Cream Ale got caught up in Temperence Movement controversy again several decades later in the early 1900s with Laevison’s Original Cream Ale Special Brew, aka “The Great Temperance Beer”, from Paducah, Kentucky. In 1911, The Journal of the American Medical Association discussed Laevison’s Cream Ale, noting it was advertised as a Temperance drink, but samples found it to contain four percent alcohol. It stated (with a confusing use of the term “Cream Ale” seemingly implying a nonalcoholic beverage), “in the case of the “Cream Ale” it was declared to be not only misbranded but adulterated in that fermented beer had been substituted in part for the “cream ale.”

Despite these sporadic sidesteps, Cream Ale persevered. It re-emerged after Prohibition, but as Jeff Alworth notes in The Beer Bible, it came back a “lesser beer”. In particular, he notes it lost its strength and bitterness.

— —

As implied above, Cream Ale was not and is not monolithic. Stan Hieronymus has pointed out a notable example in his book, Brewing Local, with the case of Kentucky Common. This beer is essentially a darker version of Cream Ale that was made beginning in the 1880s. The American Handy Book of The Brewing, Malting And Auxiliary Trades by Max Henius and Robert Wahl notes the darker color in Kentucky Common may come from sugar, caramel and/or roasted malt. It also mentions the addition of corn, but doesn’t mention rice for this particular sub-style.

There are also other types of beer referred to as Cream Ale in a few different beer cultures. Irish Cream Ale typically means an Irish Red Ale that uses nitrogen to create creamy foam. Similarly, Mirella Amato has pointed out in her book Beerology the various Cream Ales found in Quebec, Canada, which she connects to McAuslan Cream Ale. This beer is a nitrogenated Pale Ale. Mirella also identifies a different Canadian Cream Ale from British Columbia originating at Russell Brewing that she describes as a “reddish-brown beer resembling a dark, English mild.”

Confusingly, there was also an Irish Cream Ale in the United States called Beverwyck Irish Brand Cream Ale from Albany, New York. It’s unclear why it had a reference to Ireland, but there’s no reason to believe it was notably different in style than the other Cream Ales being made in the US in the second half of the 1800s. According to the book Upper Hudson Valley Beer, Schaefer purchased the brewery in 1950 and discontinued the Irish Brand Cream Ale, but customers weren’t having it. So, the brewery brought the beer back under the Schaefer name.

Image sources: Pinterest, CanSmart Auctions

Many contemporary brewers have honored the overall concept of Cream Ale, with some putting minor tweaks on it here and there. They seem to shine best when they’re closer to the description of the pre-prohibition versions with more character and bitterness than those that followed prohibition. In a surprise to no one, others have used the term “cream” to take incredible liberties with the style, but as Josh Bernstein says in his book The Complete Beer Course, “there’s something to be said for the simple pleasures of an unadulterated cream ale.”

Looking forward though, as a newer generation of brewers matures, subtlety is becoming popular again. As is, a standard Cream Ale can hit the spot, but there are a few opportunities to tinker with the beer that could be cool. And its dual identity as ale and lager offers some good possibilities. Just spitballing here.

One immediate opportunity is to overcome the challenges the use of rice and corn pose with the creation of foam and head retention. These two adjuncts are lacking in the proteins that help create dense, lasting suds. So, tinkering with the grain bill can help create a Cream Ale that still presents the attributes we want from the beer, but bolsters the foam as well. This could be done by cutting back a little bit on the additions of corn or rice. Also, a small addition of Carafoam can help.

With those modifications, Cream Ale could work well from a Lukr faucet, or maybe as real ale from a handpump. And taking cues from Ireland and Canada, even nitro could work. Yeah, cream ale is not supposed to taste like cream (hold the lactose, please), but creamy foam is a-ok.

“Wafer”, a Cream Ale collaboration between Brookyln’s Strong Rope Brewery and Miles, The Prince in White Plains, New York. The beer spent a brief amout of time in a foeder.

Since Cream Ale mimics American lager, why not put it in pitch-lined vessels like American lager was back in the day? (I say this recongnizing there’s less than a handful of brewers prepared to do this right now.) Or, since it’s an ale, maybe a little (just a little) barrel character isn’t out of line. Brooklyn-based Strong Rope Brewery and Miles the Prince in nearby White Plains, New York recently teamed up for a Cream Ale, called “Wafer”, that spent some time in a foeder.  The result is fantastic. It’s a beer that’s true to the essence of Cream Ale, but for those paying attention, there’s a little something extra there that is complementary to the style and sets the beer apart from others.

It would also be great if more brewers were making Kentucky Common-type Cream Ales, or even darker brews. Either way, American Adjunct Ales through the spectrum of pale to dark would be great to see, making use of a variety of malts that are out there, particularly from smaller, regional malt houses. Likewise, indigenous/local hops are a great way to add character to the beer when possible. That said, Willamette, Fuggle, Cluster, Northern Brewer, Tettnanger, Styrian Golding, and Hallertau are all good hops for Cream Ale. Broadly speaking for both malt and hops, varieties that work well with ale and lager and don’t have intense characterstics work well.

Corn products seem to be the default adjunct for Cream Ale as it is with Mexican Lager and other American Adjunct Lagers. That’s fine, but some more releases with rice would be cool to see.

Finally, maybe it’s time to give those Temperance folks the Cream Ale they wanted. Now is great time to make NA Cream Ale.