Mother Earth’s flagship is the beer that made cream ale cool again, and one sip tells you why. Brewed with real Madagascar vanilla bean, Cali Creamin’ drinks like the grown-up version of cream soda: pale gold, soft, and dangerously easy to finish. It is brewed right up the road in Vista, which makes it taste even better.

The basics

• Brewery: Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista, CA)
• Style: Vanilla Cream Ale
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBU: 18

What to expect

Cali Creamin’ pours golden to pale with a clean white head. The grain bill leans on flaked corn and oats, which keeps the body medium and smooth without ever getting heavy. The vanilla hits first on the nose, mild and natural, not the artificial candy-vanilla you get from lesser attempts at the style.

On the palate it is all balance. There is a subtle perceived sweetness from the vanilla up front, but the finish is dry, which is what keeps you going back for another sip instead of feeling weighed down. Low bitterness throughout. Mother Earth calls it their flagship, and it is easy to see why: this is a beer built for afternoons, cookouts, and converting people who think they do not like beer.

Our rating

9.0/10

Rated by Sam (10) and Nick (8). A perfect 10 from Sam is hard to argue with. This is about as good as the cream ale style gets. Nick’s 8 keeps it honest, but both of them reach for this one whenever it is around. If you have never had a vanilla cream ale done right, start here.