All About Beer

AAB 097: America’s Original Beer Style–Cream Ale

Oct 5, 2026
Logan Ackerley, head brewer at Wallenpaupack Brewing, and Andy Cook, brewer-owner of Swiftwater Brewing, explore cream ale’s origins as America’s answer to lager. They discuss corn-forward recipes, restrained hopping, regional brewing traditions, festival experimentation, water chemistry, and the relentless pursuit of drinkability. A flavorful salute to a deceptively simple classic.
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INSIGHT

Cream Ale Became Rochester’s Community Beer

  • Cream ale’s staying power comes from regional identity as much as flavor, especially around Rochester and western New York.
  • Andy Cook moved from avoiding competition with nearby Genesee to treating the style as a shared community beer.
ADVICE

Let Corn And Clean Water Define Cream Ale

  • Use corn generously, but rely on modern two-row malt for sufficient diastatic power rather than assuming six-row is necessary.
  • Keep water restrained; Cook adds roughly 50 ppm calcium for yeast health and flocculation, then lets the ingredients lead.
ANECDOTE

Rochester Brewers Revived A Cream Ale Festival

  • Rochester’s cream ale festival invites 20–30 local brewers to interpret the style, from classic versions to lemony Arnold Palmer-inspired batches.
  • After the original host brewery closed, Cook revived the event with permission from its former organizers.
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