Anchor Brewing CompanyBefore You Save Others, You Have To Save Yourself
Location of Origin: 1705 Mariposa St San Francisco, CA 94107, USADate Established: 1896
Category: Independent, Privately owned craft brewery, moderate nationwide distribution.
When America has struggled, it has always managed to get back on its feet. Sure, it's difficult and grossly over drawn to say that the Anchor Brewing Company of San Francisco has been through Pearl Harbor, 9/11, or a civil war. But when we say that this brewery has managed to survive the worst, we mean it. This Californian brewery was establshed more than 115 years ago, and since its inception, it was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake, nearly closed down forever during prohibition, burned down a year after prohibition while producing the only Steam Beer in America, went bankrupt in 1959, was bought in 1960, nearly went backrupt again in 1965, gained a reputation for producing sour beer because of a lack of proper attention to cleanliness by the new owners, was bought again by Frederick Louis Maytag III (51%), threw away all of the old recipies and started from scratch following the purchase, moved to its current location in 1979, and sold once again to the same people who ran Skyy Vodka in 2010... all while trying to keep the California Common/Steam beer (lager) style alive. Yet somehow, with a bit of perseverance, a lot of luck, and the ability to stick with their guns, Anchor still produces one of the only surviving examples of Steam Beer in the world. Being a relatively old brewery for the US, they also helped spark the craft/microbrewery revolution in the USA. Their core beers, including their flagship Steam beer, are produced year round and sold across the country in bottled form. Though the brewery has had to be revived many times in its history, it has managed to keep the California Common on the shelves. So at the very least, all of that effort was not for naught.
Reviewed Beer from Anchor Brewing Company
12-19-12 - Christmas Ale 2012
All rated Beer from Anchor Brewing Company
12-10-16 - Our Special Ale Christmas Ale 2016 - 3.68, Winter Warmer, 6.50%****************
5-30-15 - Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout - 3.11, Foreign/Extra Stout, 7.00%
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12-08-12 - Christmas Ale 2012 - 4.06, Winter Warmer, 5.50%
Please see review above.
7-30-11 - Anchor Liberty Ale - 2.88, American Pale Ale, 5.90%
The Liberty Ale pays respect to Paul Revere's historic ride through the streets of Boston, 200 years later (bicentennial celebration). This is a hoppy beer that uses cascade hops from California and 2-row pale malts. The beer is fermented using a natural process called bunging which creates a modest amount of carbonation. The aroma is dictated by the cascade hops. This top-fermented, medium bodied beer is available year round. Being the first modern American Pale Ale brewed after Prohibition (1975), Anchor says this beer started a revolution of its own.
12-28-10 - Anchor Steam - 2.34, Steam/California Common Beer, 4.90%
This is Anchor's flagship beer. It is one of the only surviving examples of a nearly lost American style of lager named California Common or Steam beer. The Steam name comes from the primitive brewing practice of fermenting beer in the cool, foggy San Francisco nights rather than in ice. This created steam when the beer was in contact with the relatively warm fermenting pans. Today, "Steam" is a trademark of the brewery. This beer uses pale and caramel malts, and is hopped with Northern Brewer flowers. This beer is characterised by a dark amber/brown color, a thick foam head, and a somewhat malty, and bitter taste attributed to the hops and malts used. This goes great with heary meals and comfort food.
