Anchor Steam Brewery shutting down after 127 years
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Bummer. In the 70s and 80s it was quite unique. A Bay Area "landmark."
"The news comes one month after Anchor announced it was halting national distribution and discontinuing its beloved Christmas Ale, which it’s produced since 1975. When Japanese beer giant Sapporo purchased Anchor in 2017, the company was already “in the red,” according to Singer, who said that revenue is down by two-thirds since 2016. The pandemic was especially challenging for the brewery, added Singer, as it typically sells most of its beer through bars and restaurants. The brewery attempted to expand its retail distribution but was “unable to break through in a big enough way,” he said. "
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/anchor-steam-18192913.php
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
One of the first nationally
One of the first nationally distributed beers at the beginning of the U.S. microbrewery explosion in the 80s. Sounds like that movement they helped spearhead is putting them under.
Hope their employees find new gigs.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sun so hot, clouds so low
Sad. Their beer was good.
Sad. Their beer was good. Didn't taste like rancid cough syrup masked with a combination of hops.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: (~)};)StealYourFace
Ahh fond memories drinking
Ahh fond memories drinking old foghorn in the taproom...
No future nation-wide distribution
maybe a visit pre-Deadco?
Remember when on the upstate NY GD tour you slipped across the border into Canada to buy Molson's Brador malt liquor?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Never could acquire a taste
Never could acquire a taste for this label
Sad we're all mostly just consumers anymore
folks making the real good stuff the old fashioned way sure are getting scarce
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
The only beer I ordered
The only beer I ordered during my first trip to SF in '91. The first at Tommy's.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Roarshock
Keep kicking us while we are
Keep kicking us while we are down.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
Anchor was my gateway drug to
Anchor was my gateway drug to the world of ambers, stouts and porters. It led to drives up Hwy 101 to the old Hopland Brewery for Red Tail Ale and Black Hawk Stout. Exotic beer back then. And tasty.
"Opened on August 14, 1983, the Hopland Brewery was the first California brewpub ‒ a brewery licensed to sell both its own beer and food at the same location ‒ as well as the second in the United States"
The only problem with Hopland was that it was a notorious chokepoint to Humbolt -- and the Highway Patrol would often stop everyone who looked suspicious. (This was back when weed would get you arrested.) Thankfully you could still get to the brewpub's parking lot and evade the checkpoint by waiting them out. Then you just had to worry about a DUI.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
you knew there was trouble
you knew there was trouble when they started making IPA's.
I want a xmas poster. Loved their annual labels.
RIP.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: (~)};)StealYourFace
^tru that
^tru that
solace in knowing they never had to resort to the hard seltzer craze...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: |-|/-\|_|_
I blame myself (quit drinking
Used to pound Anchors at local restaurants, but I quit drinking altogether, so I guess I'm partly (maybe largely?) to blame for their demise.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Zzzzzz
My all time fave. So sad.
My all time fave. So sad.
Hall - I blame you!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Semolina Pilchard
I remember Anchor Steam well
I remember Anchor Steam well and fondly. Kind of a creamy texture and a bit of a bite, as I recall. A true SF classic, I'd say.
> slipped across the border into Canada to buy Molson's Brador malt liquor
Bradors were decent, but I preferred the Canadian versions of Molson Golden and their red label ale. And then there were O'Keefes to consider too.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: GDTRFB
Had to grab a few...but they
Had to grab a few...but they seem to taste better when chilled off in snow drifts while skiing though.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Localcountyline
The writing was on the wall
The writing was on the wall when they changed the label a few years ago...
And many fun times drinking Anchor at Tommy's after Garcia Band shows at the Warfield.
Another SF classic bites the dust.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: GDTRFB
^^yes, I think that happened
^^yes, I think that happened around the time that Saporro bought it (~2017)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: JP (J Bomb)
They were in great position
They were in great position in the 90's to become a bigger brand but could not quite dial in the product mix and marketing. Sometimes legacy companies can't pivot.
I'd always pick up a sixer of the X-mas Ale but even that started to pale in comparison to other seasonal ales that permeated the market.
Next stop = million dollar "luxury" condos on the Potrero Hill site.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
Beer's time is over.
Beer's time is over.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
That's too bad. It was my go
That's too bad. It was my go to beer before the microbrew revolution took off. Still look forward to it whenever I have a layover in SFO and their barleywine (foghorn?) was always a treat.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: joy
Enjoyed their Liberty Ale
Enjoyed their Liberty Ale
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sun so hot, clouds so low
I fondly remember a 4th of
I fondly remember a 4th of July party where we acquired a keg of Liberty Ale. Seemed appropriate.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: dimethyllovebeam
They had a presence in WI
They had a presence in WI which has a lot of microbrews. Anchor porter and stout were go-tos in the winter.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Just stopped by John's Market
Just stopped by John's Market and picked up a case. Guy at the checkout says that people have been coming in non-stop since yesterday buying up case after case.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: That’s Nancy with the laughin’ face
are we sure this isn't one of
are we sure this isn't one of those 'final tour' type announcements?!
Would be a genius marketing ploy to move some product, and then announce 'due to such high demand we've decided not to close'.
a bike shop around here has a big sign up saying 'everything must go' - so we stopped in and asked if they were going out of business. Nope.
Ok, then. what's the sign about?
Oh, 'some of our bikes are on sale'.
So a few expensive bike 'must go' and the sale was 10 percent off.
yeah, Anchor Steam is probably closing for good, but ya never know.
PT Barnum..
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: That’s Nancy with the laughin’ face
So..
So..
https://sfist.com/2023/07/17/local-interest-already-bubbling-up-to-save-...