Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale
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Tasting Notes
Kiwanda Cream Ale opens with a mild grainy sweetness and faint floral hop character, with virtually no bitterness to get in the way. The body is smooth and light, built on adjunct-softened malt that keeps things approachable without being thin. Flavor centers on soft corn-touched sweetness, a touch of biscuit, and a clean, dry finish that lingers only briefly. It's a straightforward, well-executed example of a style designed around balance and drinkability.
About the Brewery
Pelican Brewing is based on the Oregon coast, with its original location in Pacific City opening in 1996 — one of the earlier craft breweries to plant a flag in that stretch of the state. The brewery has grown to multiple locations across Oregon and carries a strong reputation for its Pacific-coastal identity, with Kiwanda Cream Ale serving as one of its flagship year-round offerings. Pelican has earned numerous awards at national and international competitions, with particular recognition across a range of styles from lagers to imperial stouts.
Food Pairings
The soft malt profile and minimal bitterness make this a natural companion for lightly seasoned grilled chicken, where the beer won't overpower delicate flavors. Fish tacos work well because the clean finish cuts through creamy slaw and fried batter without clashing. Mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese lets the beer's subtle sweetness come forward rather than recede. Corn-based dishes like elote or a simple corn chowder echo the beer's faint adjunct character in a way that feels intentional rather than coincidental.
Style Guide
American Cream Ale is a hybrid style that ferments like an ale but is conditioned cold, borrowing smoothness from lager technique while keeping production simpler. It typically uses corn or rice as adjuncts alongside barley malt, which lightens the body and softens any rough edges. Bitterness is kept low, and the overall profile skews toward subtle sweetness and grain. It shares some DNA with American lagers but tends to carry slightly more malt presence, and differs from Kölsch in that it lacks the latter's more defined hop character and Old World brewing tradition.