Orange Blossom Cream Ale

This is the third component of the previously discussed, Floridian Citrus Seafood Trio. Orange Blossom Cream Ale is a seasonal brew from Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California. "Created and crafted in the San Francisco Bay area, Orange Blossom Cream Ale is an extremely drinkable craft beer that is especially appealing to better beer drinkers who want something delicious and flavorful yet out of the ordinary," said Scott Barnum, CEO, Pyramid Breweries Inc. Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom Cream Ale is brewed and distributed under license by Pyramid Breweries.

This cream ale pours a light amber color, as you can see from the photo above. Orange blossom is the dominant aroma (shocking). Every time I placed the glass to my face my mind thought that I was about to take a sip of Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, but I think this is because I drink my Blue Moon with a thick orange slice. In short, it smelled like a freshly sliced orange. The taste is distinctly and uniquely orange--not to be confused with orange peel which is commonly used as an ingredient in Belgian beer. If you do not like my review of this beer and you choose to do some research about what other beer enthusiasts are saying you will discover that it is being compared to: orange push-up pops, Sunkist orange soda, orangeade, and orange cream soda. You will also find that beer advocates are giving this an average grade of C+ but I would have to disagree. In fact, if I were to rate this beer I would rate it an A- and I think that my partner in everything food would agree. We both enjoy fruit beer and the taste of this one did not disappoint. "Buffalo Bills was one of the first brew pubs in the United States and is known for its stand-out seasonal beers," said Geoff Harries, owner and head brewer, Buffalo Bills Brewery. "Orange Blossom fans love the beer so much they could not get the cap off fast enough! We think they will love the new twist top and great food pairing ideas." Mr. Harries is correct. We absolutely adored this beer with our citrus dinner. As we expected, it paired perfectly with seafood. Using a citrus flavor throughout the meal was an added bonus that raised this beer from simple to standout.

***We purchased this beer from World Market where we built our own six pack. To find the nearest World Market near you click here

***The other components of the Floridian Citrus Seafood Trio include Pan Broiled Amberjack with an Orange Apricot Butter Sauce and Summer Shrimp n' Spinach Salad (blog posts listed separately). The salad, fish and beer all centered around the idea of the orange. The salad and fish shared almond as a common ingredient. This trio is Floridan for its use of the orange, as the official state flower is the orange blossom and the official state beverage is orange juice. The seafood used are also both Floridian in nature. Amberjack is found in great numbers swimming in the water surrounding Florida enjoying the reefs, rock outcrops and wrecks. Gulf shrimp is caught off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Since we live on the Gulf Coast and know that our shrimp came from the local fishermen who docked their boats in our community this morning, we know that our shrimp shared our home state.