ANCHOR BREWING CO

Originally known as the Golden City Brewery, Anchor Brewing is now a true American pioneer; it is the first American craft brewery that has been located in San Francisco for almost 150 years. The tenacious brewery survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Prohibition era, and near-bankruptcy, and came out on top. With the help of Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing was saved and even stood out from the other craft breweries in America. The brewery is known for its iconic Steam Beer, as well as its revolutionary Liberty Ale, which is now known as the first American Pale Ale that started the IPA movement!

No products found.

let's tap into their story!

Anchor Brewing Company was founded in the 1870s and was originally known as the Golden City Brewery on Pacific Street. The brewery was the first American craft brewery ever established, and is said to have started the modern-day craft beer movement in the United States!

In 1896, the brewery was bought over by German brewer, Ernst F. Baruth, and his son-in-law Otto Schinkel Jr, who then renamed the brewery and thus, Anchor Brewery was born. Unfortunately, in 1906, the devastating San Francisco earthquake ravaged the brewery, but it was quickly rebuilt.

However, shortly after reopening, the Prohibition was repealed, which caused the brewery’s demise yet again. Tenacious as it is, the brewery was simply rebuilt each time it was knocked down, though for the whole duration of the Prohibition, it had to cease beer production. Like many other breweries, Anchor resorted to producing non-alcoholic beverages and near-beer during this period.

After decades of decline, Anchor Brewing was on the verge of closing down in the 1950s. However, in 1965, it was purchased by Fritz Maytag, a young entrepreneur and brewing enthusiast, who was a huge fan of Anchor’s steam beer and was thus determined to save the sinking ship.

Maytag quite literally became the company's anchor, as he stabilised Anchor’s progression as its owner and brewmaster. The master helmsman did everything in his power to help Anchor rise up above the sea of craft beer breweries by learning everything he could about brewing. Maytag not only visited breweries in England for inspiration, but he was also knee-deep in research about steam beer.

Anchor Brewing’s best creations

Whatever it was Maytag did, it clearly worked. In 1971, Anchor Brewing reintroduced its flagship beer, Anchor Steam Beer, in its glorious bottled form. The Steam Beer got its iconic name from the 19th century when “steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions without ice. As such, the name likely refers to the original practice of fermenting beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. Instead of using ice, the fermenting beer is cooled by the chilly night air which creates steam off the warm open pans.

Note: the name “steam” today is a trademark of Anchor Brewing and only applies to its flagship brand - the Anchor Steam® Beer!

The unique beer style is beloved by many as it blends elements of both lagers and ales, and is characterised by its deep amber colour and rich, malty flavour. In fact, the beer is so popular that San Francisco dedicated a whole week to it! In 2015, the third week in August was proclaimed Anchor Steam Week.

On April 18th, 1975, Anchor released the Liberty Ale to celebrate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s ride, but the revolutionary ale did so much more than that. The Liberty Ale kickstarted the IPA movement and is now known as the first American Pale Ale! The bright, dry-hopped ale is truly timeless and its craft standard has been maintained to this day.

Anchor Brewing today and beyond

In August, 2017, Anchor Brewing Company was acquired by Sapporo Holdings Limited. Despite its acquisition, Anchor Brewing continued its operations as per usual while benefiting from Sapporo's resources and global distribution network.

Anchor Brewing has truly been making waves since 1896, from starting dry-hopping trends with its Liberty Ale to creating iconic beers like the Anchor Steam. The American pioneer, contrary to its name, doesn’t get weighed down but only continues to soar from here on out!