diff --git a/noodles-cram/CHANGELOG.md b/noodles-cram/CHANGELOG.md
index 243ef12dc..28d05b357 100644
--- a/noodles-cram/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/noodles-cram/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Added
+
+  * cram/async/io/writer: Add alignment record writer
+    (`Writer::write_alignment_record`) ([#293]).
+
+[#293]: https://github.com/zaeleus/noodles/issues/293
+
 ## 0.67.0 - 2024-08-04
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/noodles-cram/src/async/io/writer.rs b/noodles-cram/src/async/io/writer.rs
index 7ae8e644f..fdc34de04 100644
--- a/noodles-cram/src/async/io/writer.rs
+++ b/noodles-cram/src/async/io/writer.rs
@@ -205,6 +205,42 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    /// Writes an alignment record.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # #[tokio::main]
+    /// # async fn main() -> tokio::io::Result<()> {
+    /// use noodles_cram as cram;
+    /// use noodles_sam as sam;
+    /// use tokio::io;
+    ///
+    /// let mut writer = cram::r#async::io::Writer::new(io::sink());
+    /// writer.write_file_definition().await?;
+    ///
+    /// let header = sam::Header::default();
+    /// writer.write_file_header(&header).await?;
+    ///
+    /// let record = sam::Record::default();
+    /// writer.write_alignment_record(&header, &record).await?;
+    ///
+    /// writer.shutdown(&header).await?;
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// ```
+    pub async fn write_alignment_record<R>(
+        &mut self,
+        header: &sam::Header,
+        record: &R,
+    ) -> io::Result<()>
+    where
+        R: sam::alignment::Record + ?Sized,
+    {
+        let record = Record::try_from_alignment_record(header, record)?;
+        self.write_record(header, record).await
+    }
+
     async fn flush(&mut self, header: &sam::Header) -> io::Result<()> {
         use self::data_container::write_data_container;
 
diff --git a/noodles-util/src/alignment/async/io/writer.rs b/noodles-util/src/alignment/async/io/writer.rs
index c0c156ab0..4d72a82f4 100644
--- a/noodles-util/src/alignment/async/io/writer.rs
+++ b/noodles-util/src/alignment/async/io/writer.rs
@@ -79,10 +79,7 @@ where
         match self {
             Self::Sam(writer) => writer.write_alignment_record(header, record).await,
             Self::Bam(writer) => writer.write_alignment_record(header, record).await,
-            Self::Cram(writer) => {
-                let record = cram::Record::try_from_alignment_record(header, record)?;
-                writer.write_record(header, record).await
-            }
+            Self::Cram(writer) => writer.write_alignment_record(header, record).await,
         }
     }