This Was Once America's Best-Selling Ale — Now It's Nearly Vanished

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The next time you sidle up to your favorite bar in search of the latest craft beer, take a moment to peruse the forgotten options. In our list of vintage beers that vanished from America's fridges, we commended Genesee Cream Ale for its drinkability and flavor. While The Genesee Brewing Company has been around since 1878, its cream ale only hit the market in 1960. The beer was wildly popular in the decades after its release but doesn't have the same effect on modern consumers. According to Beer Advocate, Genesee Cream Ale is currently ranked at 207 in the cream ale category, while it landed in 39,355^th place in the general beer category.

Cream ales toe the line between ales and lagers, which are distinct due to variations in the fermentation process. While it's not exactly impossible to get (this writer spied some cans in a beer cooler on a recent outing), Genesee Cream Ale has been relegated to a nostalgic beer, something a youngster might order because they remember their dad or grandfather throwing them back. As you may have guessed, there's no cream in cream ale (and if there was — ew). Instead, the name is a reference to the beer's smoothness, which is coupled with a subtle but discernible flavor sometimes absent from similar brews.

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While IPAs (or India pale ales) have been around since the mid 19^th century, their rise to market domination is a more recent occurrence. These flavorful, hopped-up beers are now a ubiquitous fixture of bars, gastropubs, and beer shops all over the country, so much so that some consumers are claiming "IPA fatigue," as illustrated by Reddit. One user proclaimed that they were "Tired of I.P.A.'s ... What about the other types of beer?!" Another Reddit thread pondered if IPA intolerance was actually a thing, explaining, "I too went through an IPA phase where I drank them for years. Then one day it was just like 'This beer is disgusting.'"

Full disclosure, we love a good IPA and aren't suggesting that the beer category should go the way of the dodo. However, the prevalence of IPAs could push some beer drinkers toward more easy-drinking brews like Genesee Cream Ale. According to a 2026 Washington Beer Blog survey, a substantial number of beer drinkers are shying away from IPAs. Nearly 35% of respondents said they're more likely to order other beer styles, and just over 32% said IPAs are too strong when it comes to ABV. Genesee Cream Ale, on the other hand, is easy drinking and features a reasonable ABV of 5.1%, which makes it a nice alternative.