Anchor Brewing Company is one of the longest standing breweries in the entire country. It currently sits in San Francisco. Steam beer, also known as California Common Beer, is an item the beer manufacturer got a trademark for, and the company is one of the last, if not the final brewer making alcohol the same way. The factory has four locations that were home over the years. The first brewery site was in 1896 on Pacific Avenue in San Francisco. The building saw it’s demise after the 1906 earthquake and massive fire breakout. The following year, the company resurrected the brewery on Eight Street where operations would continue until 1920 when Prohibition stopped production once again.
Anchor Brewing overcame many more challenges
Where San Francisco and the U.S. seen more than 4,000 breweries at the beginning of 1900, by the time 1950 came along, there were less than 75 in existence. Anchor Brewing Company would undergo many tough tests during the 1950’s causing the business to consider closing doors several times before Frederick Maytag III would rescue the failing beer manufacturer and move it to the final spot on Portero Hill in 1979. Maytag only bought 51 percent of the company in 1965 and sought to own the whole firm in the 1970’s. Interest in pale lagers and lighter beers is why the company struggled before he turned interest around with draft beers for bars and nightclubs, and then a four-pack of beer after revamping the entire company inside and out.
The country’s first microbrewery
By 1977, Anchor Brewing Company had five options for beer drinkers to consider when shopping for alcohol. Steam Beer was born in 1979 and is still in production today. Anchor Summer Beer is a wheat brew that came about in 1984. It was another first for the brand. Sumerian Beer was an innovative concoction using a centuries-old recipe. When the brewery went through the Loma Prieta earthquake, the beer in production was easily identifiable because of the upside-down label the company used to differentiate the batches. It was known after as “Earthquake Beer.”
Distillation brings new alcohols to fruition
In the 1990’s, Anchor Distillery began microbrewing a whole new way. By 1997, a popular gin named Junipero was born. In 2010, Frank Maytag was ready to hand over the reins to new owners, Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio. The pair vows to continue the tradition of brewing small batches of alcohol with fine ingredients and special care. While the process is still hands-on, the beers are known across the globe. The owners are remaining true to the brand because all ales and beers are made from malt with no corn or rice.
Anchor Brewing Company uses various techniques to ensure a consistent, bold flavor in each product. Methods like dry-hopping, bunging, and open fermentation are everyday terms at the California brewery. The company offers tours of the facility with a reservation. Several areas have public taps where the brewery provides products to food trucks and sports bars in the community.
References:
https://www.anchorbrewing.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Brewing_Company
Courtesy: F. Lofrano & Son, Inc – https://lofrano.com/locations/san-francisco/1465-folsom-st-san-francisco-ca/
