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25-07-2023, 21:37
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/anchor-steams-away-over-horizon.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VHYAN6KYI-NnLnq8w3tNTiqYTi_Acfn7xbLqy5vo3rp2_saNBoGbxVHTmv8q q6GA7ZjnLgx2pV0focgocBPJsLJMaWO2L1jp8e79zMhc5vb4fN DYTo5hPQ0srothINV0mJ9Q_QfFfya8KWilUVTDVzqMNrEEspGY cVO5-fkjSg1CnvdWk3BIIrFe1Fk/w400-h296/Anchor%20logo.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VHYAN6KYI-NnLnq8w3tNTiqYTi_Acfn7xbLqy5vo3rp2_saNBoGbxVHTmv8q q6GA7ZjnLgx2pV0focgocBPJsLJMaWO2L1jp8e79zMhc5vb4fN DYTo5hPQ0srothINV0mJ9Q_QfFfya8KWilUVTDVzqMNrEEspGY cVO5-fkjSg1CnvdWk3BIIrFe1Fk/s900/Anchor%20logo.jpg)
This story is a couple of weeks old now, but that doesn’t stop it from being both topical, poignant and, above all,relevant, especially as it highlights much of what is wrong with today’s beerand brewing scene. The story is of course, the recently announced closure oficonic Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, acquired by Japanese brewing giant,Sapporo, and now thrown on the scrapheap. In doing so, Sapporo are discarding acentury and a quarter’s history, as well as the love and devotion of the manwho saved the brewery, and its unique style of beer from a previous threat ofclosure.That threat occurredback in the mid 1960’s, and the knight in shining armour was Fritz Maytag. Thestory of how and why Fritz bought Anchor Brewing is well known to those of uswho witnessed the development of the phenomenon that is today’s global brewingscene, but for those who weren’t around during those heady days, here’s a brief synopsis of what happened.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUfECYKcJ7YIlQ2CVG8dEesS-_OJyBiKRCwIzanuKaiITxB-2T2KFQjr_kSllAc1TpKFBNVSSD7tH8vxnuqFBnnoVrgqZO7DFv M-i7waEllVezueuWINzrxfG6uCZB3yFq2Wp1DGk0rN8B7yB4vEv5 3Rasetctf-TtwRrJOyxwzYIQcO_oaCCw4lIzCg/w400-h229/Anchor%20Steam%20beer.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUfECYKcJ7YIlQ2CVG8dEesS-_OJyBiKRCwIzanuKaiITxB-2T2KFQjr_kSllAc1TpKFBNVSSD7tH8vxnuqFBnnoVrgqZO7DFv M-i7waEllVezueuWINzrxfG6uCZB3yFq2Wp1DGk0rN8B7yB4vEv5 3Rasetctf-TtwRrJOyxwzYIQcO_oaCCw4lIzCg/s1500/Anchor%20Steam%20beer.jpg)Anchor was regardedas the last speciality brewery of any kind in America, but set against a tideof often insipid, heavily promoted nations brands – think Budweiser, Coors,Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and a handful of other behemoths that dominated US brewing,it was sinking fast, and almost without trace. What happened next passed into legendamongst American beer lovers, so it is doubly upsetting seeing Anchor, onceagain under threat of vanishing from the North American beer scene.
It was 1965, and FritzMaytag, whose family owned one of the USA's principal washing machine companies,was a student at Stanford University. The laundry connection comes into playshortly, other wise I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but during his student days,Fritz was a regular at a San Francisco bar and restaurant, where Anchor Steam Beerwas stocked. One day, whilst sitting at the bar, and ordering an Anchor Steam, hewas told that the brewery was due to close at the end of the week.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjoLC1V8kZB5pWqgB2tQTL5h9TDfeIwSltL84lFWdcP abwy4XYxD3Qyn0MWUqrKgZwck0yhvzivT7nQiVDJslRlzPyThU ZD7Q9AddC6C61rnWkksQ4eFOb5jGayZ-vBRTCXF3ve3-cS0Fu7fowH1wjMmSy_pR3QvoRETKWE98NwMAcuAgISIskesZrN Q/w400-h266/Anchor%20Christmas%20Ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjoLC1V8kZB5pWqgB2tQTL5h9TDfeIwSltL84lFWdcP abwy4XYxD3Qyn0MWUqrKgZwck0yhvzivT7nQiVDJslRlzPyThU ZD7Q9AddC6C61rnWkksQ4eFOb5jGayZ-vBRTCXF3ve3-cS0Fu7fowH1wjMmSy_pR3QvoRETKWE98NwMAcuAgISIskesZrN Q/s1200/Anchor%20Christmas%20Ale.jpg)
Fritz was horrifiedbut was determined not to allow his favourite beer to disappear. At first, he thoughthis family connections might be able to provide some business experience tohelp the brewery. Instead, he found himself selling some shares in the family'sbusiness in order to become a partner and subsequent owner at Anchor Steam. Mostobservers thought he was crazy. The brewery was seriously underfunded, was situatedunderneath the freeway and employed only one person. Baker's yeast was used forthe fermentation, and in the absence of a bottling line, only draught beer wasproduced.Undeterred, Fritzput everything he could in the brewery, including making sales calls and doinghis own deliveries. He also learned as much as he could about the brewingprocess, making improvements wherever he could. Slowly, but surely Fritz beganturning the business around, although it took him 10 years before Anchor wasturning in a profit. Soon afterwards he moved the operation into a stylish1930s building that formerly housed a coffee roasting company. This was locatedin the fashionable, San Francisco district of Potrero Hill.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoiYOZnd_2gbt5FEvRypCM3Tp1V0069BZ3JeT7XqSMM hI5_9bgDadQVlcKoafVgzGBkrgbTuDl5eTLzPjkmg49b8b-HpDsbvR4h6LYv7_73oZl7Oq1iTDMX28nVDjL0p0LWBCG8MbzZY nmRZWCTrQgiuGX4QVn5zeK4MdHptP-4M_DIODl25Lfx19YVo/w400-h400/Anchor%20liberty.webp (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoiYOZnd_2gbt5FEvRypCM3Tp1V0069BZ3JeT7XqSMM hI5_9bgDadQVlcKoafVgzGBkrgbTuDl5eTLzPjkmg49b8b-HpDsbvR4h6LYv7_73oZl7Oq1iTDMX28nVDjL0p0LWBCG8MbzZY nmRZWCTrQgiuGX4QVn5zeK4MdHptP-4M_DIODl25Lfx19YVo/s512/Anchor%20liberty.webp)
Maytag’s philosophywas the company should always remain in touch with what they were about i.e., brewinga first-class beer. In order to achieve this, he designed the new Anchorbrewery so that all the officers faced directly onto the copper kettles, and otherbrewing vessels. As a further reminder of the ethos behind the business, thebrewery included a tap room, complete with a traditional, bar decorated withmemorabilia, where workers could relax over a few, after work beers. In addition,once a year, Fritz would take a party from the brewery, to the far north ofCalifornia, in order to see the barley being harvested. Other years, he wouldtake the staff to watch the hops, used in the brewery, being picked.Maytag’s determinationand drive, combined with his insistence of top-quality ingredients, that turnedAnchor’s flagship product, into a renowned classic, acknowledged by beer lovers,the world over. Anchor Steam beer was produced from pale and crystal malts andhopped three times throughout the brewing process with Northern Brewer hops. Fermentationtook place in a series of uniquely shallow fermentation vessels, each just twofoot deep. This produced a beer with an alcohol content of around 5%.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3_CRhIQbgEr_TTV9D79LV3qGk_muQPk9574r1MyiyA-F-N08iEFmFCFM9TuafFtpyKHYujkv4U6YDEVYDDJLVpZVO5EVVa8 RAtEujTJdO7v0QFbV8sEB_Oj3UPmtDugYMlqeQ6uykWqw30QLL cY6JbLo6EydQStQhnpD0jwX-fMGOdS_kDMSJt3rIJ8/w400-h300/20180812_151852.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3_CRhIQbgEr_TTV9D79LV3qGk_muQPk9574r1MyiyA-F-N08iEFmFCFM9TuafFtpyKHYujkv4U6YDEVYDDJLVpZVO5EVVa8 RAtEujTJdO7v0QFbV8sEB_Oj3UPmtDugYMlqeQ6uykWqw30QLL cY6JbLo6EydQStQhnpD0jwX-fMGOdS_kDMSJt3rIJ8/s4128/20180812_151852.jpg)
Fermentation was followedby three-week’s warm conditioning, and dry-hopping, before the beer was pasteurised,bottled, or kegged. Anchor Steam beer had the roundness and cleanness of a lagerbut some of the complexity of an ale. It was bronze in colour, with a pleasing naturalcarbonation, that was a good match for its clean, and pleasing fruitiness. Althoughthe term “steam beer” had been known for decades, it was the time, effort, andsheer dedication put in by Fritz and his team, that fostered and saved thisunique way of brewing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFFMmooPAaslW9xMOEbiOJ7mCcWgx66f7KoPfxXAgSl Z8VIGZ5O334FhOZNh2cRN_hAWLje2njznwKif-NIfEd69L4B1VZij6Xsga5yovlBZxxNwnEiyMEugwewUa9p1fT_ iFY7cjJMngoSx3JvdrAEz0VeBOcbPVCFAZ2pR9Afo-nQPcPYI5MGAEx3U/w400-h320/Anchor%20porter.png (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFFMmooPAaslW9xMOEbiOJ7mCcWgx66f7KoPfxXAgSl Z8VIGZ5O334FhOZNh2cRN_hAWLje2njznwKif-NIfEd69L4B1VZij6Xsga5yovlBZxxNwnEiyMEugwewUa9p1fT_ iFY7cjJMngoSx3JvdrAEz0VeBOcbPVCFAZ2pR9Afo-nQPcPYI5MGAEx3U/s1500/Anchor%20porter.png)
As well as SteamBeer, Anchor also produced the famous Liberty Ale, along with Old Foghorn Barleywine.Fritz’s rescue of Anchor preceded the micro-brewery movement in North Americaby 10 or 12 years, and whilst he never intended to spend his life as a brewer,what he achieved during his years at the helm of the company, proved inspirationalto a host of other aspiring brewers, both in the United States and further afield. As one industry commentator put it, “Fritz not only saved Anchor in 1965, but healso essentially laid the tracks for others to follow. Anchor Steam wasrecreated in a vacuum because there were no drinkable examples and few whoremembered it. Fritz may have "simply" Americanized dead, unpopular,or under-appreciated English styles like Pale Ale, IPA, Porter, Barley-wine, andHoliday beer, but he was very inspirational to the first small craft breweriesin Northern California.”
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgY2ZRZYNIbI1VVkJmUtZ3jVIGTKhv_RFPtzen2JhT-oQ4P6Nrj5yPwqpTsyqcw1FBIdMnLtzFn0NfB97KKMoulF71fnj HgFt3U8PLAH741mv-ODV4T67Yt6DTLxsly30AKAUAZm1uE-kEuopPNxkTklQ0Mc6wpCNeSAxISk0B4xmSobv5MqaPA9aNkk/w400-h300/20180812_134640.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgY2ZRZYNIbI1VVkJmUtZ3jVIGTKhv_RFPtzen2JhT-oQ4P6Nrj5yPwqpTsyqcw1FBIdMnLtzFn0NfB97KKMoulF71fnj HgFt3U8PLAH741mv-ODV4T67Yt6DTLxsly30AKAUAZm1uE-kEuopPNxkTklQ0Mc6wpCNeSAxISk0B4xmSobv5MqaPA9aNkk/s4128/20180812_134640.jpg)
Unfortunately,despite Maytag’s legacy, the iconic role he played at Anchor in bringing diversity,character, and style to the American brewing scene, was slowly buried over bythe years, as brewers in that part of the world began trying to out-compete oneanother by producing increasingly extreme beers. West Coast IPA Double IPA, NewEngland IPA, and a plethora of other different beer styles left Anchor Beer as arefugee in its own homeland. Ticking apps,such as Rate Beer and Untappd, spawned a whole generation of drinkers moreinterested in chasing the latest fad, than appreciating what they already had. This is a lesson Ifeel all beer lovers should take note of, and I have seen several American beercommentators making similar points. "Smoothie Pastry Hazy Juicy Dessert IPAs have destroyed classic beers. But we’reall to blame. I don’t understand why Sapporo would buy the brewery and shut itdown so quickly. Not only does that make no sense with regard to theirinvestment, but they have made a lot of enemies, too. But as fickle craft beerdrinkers we are all to blame. We are more focused on the latest fad and in theprocess let this classic brewery die a slow death. And that’s a shame of epicproportions."
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G64AKpHPcuIYksZmnvlD-7ro5vqJRvkNpDKGbBxlekRDyBxbSVieYf0W56C2AeYlInf-qyugkkKwRFqiOUu2ai2WNhI_Awiw9sREkDhnhUuqVTqXX1tA42 9lCtyPzXcJakxy_U2h_jX1zrz1AvfVa12jrumkeut2EhvSm4sy x0TWZYsgW4vkLVEVSFY/w400-h300/20181020_100018.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G64AKpHPcuIYksZmnvlD-7ro5vqJRvkNpDKGbBxlekRDyBxbSVieYf0W56C2AeYlInf-qyugkkKwRFqiOUu2ai2WNhI_Awiw9sREkDhnhUuqVTqXX1tA42 9lCtyPzXcJakxy_U2h_jX1zrz1AvfVa12jrumkeut2EhvSm4sy x0TWZYsgW4vkLVEVSFY/s4128/20181020_100018.jpg)
For my part I amextremely sorry to see Anchor disappear, because like many people who grew upwitnessing the micro-brewery revolution as it developed into a globalphenomenon, iconic beers, such as Anchor, which played such a pivotal role willalways have a special place in my heart. When we had our off licence, Anchor Steam,Porter, and Liberty Ale from San Francisco were regular staples on our shelves.We obtained them through an importer called James Clay & Sons, (https://www.jamesclay.co.uk/) who arestill trading today. That was 17 years ago, and since that time I have rarelyseen Anchor beers on sale anywhere in the UK. Let’s leave the finalwords of this sorry saga to Chuck Magerl, proprietor of Free State Brewing inKansas. Fritz Maytag and his crew created the amazing beer world in Americatoday. “When we opened Free State in early spring of 1989, the initial responsequickly outstripped our capacity to release new batches. We bought in the onlykeg of Anchor beer available in Kansas, as a way to offer a like-minded beerfor our guests.”
“Others played arole, but Fritz was the key. While the news of Anchor’s closing may yet unfoldwith another chapter, what is certain is the importance of what this Iowa guyachieved as he guided the historic San Francisco brewery into the new age.Wherever you have a beer this week, whatever flavour you enjoy, please join usin raising an appreciative toast to the world Fritz Maytag enhanced with hisdevotion at Anchor Brewing”.
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More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/anchor-steams-away-over-horizon.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VHYAN6KYI-NnLnq8w3tNTiqYTi_Acfn7xbLqy5vo3rp2_saNBoGbxVHTmv8q q6GA7ZjnLgx2pV0focgocBPJsLJMaWO2L1jp8e79zMhc5vb4fN DYTo5hPQ0srothINV0mJ9Q_QfFfya8KWilUVTDVzqMNrEEspGY cVO5-fkjSg1CnvdWk3BIIrFe1Fk/w400-h296/Anchor%20logo.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VHYAN6KYI-NnLnq8w3tNTiqYTi_Acfn7xbLqy5vo3rp2_saNBoGbxVHTmv8q q6GA7ZjnLgx2pV0focgocBPJsLJMaWO2L1jp8e79zMhc5vb4fN DYTo5hPQ0srothINV0mJ9Q_QfFfya8KWilUVTDVzqMNrEEspGY cVO5-fkjSg1CnvdWk3BIIrFe1Fk/s900/Anchor%20logo.jpg)
This story is a couple of weeks old now, but that doesn’t stop it from being both topical, poignant and, above all,relevant, especially as it highlights much of what is wrong with today’s beerand brewing scene. The story is of course, the recently announced closure oficonic Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, acquired by Japanese brewing giant,Sapporo, and now thrown on the scrapheap. In doing so, Sapporo are discarding acentury and a quarter’s history, as well as the love and devotion of the manwho saved the brewery, and its unique style of beer from a previous threat ofclosure.That threat occurredback in the mid 1960’s, and the knight in shining armour was Fritz Maytag. Thestory of how and why Fritz bought Anchor Brewing is well known to those of uswho witnessed the development of the phenomenon that is today’s global brewingscene, but for those who weren’t around during those heady days, here’s a brief synopsis of what happened.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUfECYKcJ7YIlQ2CVG8dEesS-_OJyBiKRCwIzanuKaiITxB-2T2KFQjr_kSllAc1TpKFBNVSSD7tH8vxnuqFBnnoVrgqZO7DFv M-i7waEllVezueuWINzrxfG6uCZB3yFq2Wp1DGk0rN8B7yB4vEv5 3Rasetctf-TtwRrJOyxwzYIQcO_oaCCw4lIzCg/w400-h229/Anchor%20Steam%20beer.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUfECYKcJ7YIlQ2CVG8dEesS-_OJyBiKRCwIzanuKaiITxB-2T2KFQjr_kSllAc1TpKFBNVSSD7tH8vxnuqFBnnoVrgqZO7DFv M-i7waEllVezueuWINzrxfG6uCZB3yFq2Wp1DGk0rN8B7yB4vEv5 3Rasetctf-TtwRrJOyxwzYIQcO_oaCCw4lIzCg/s1500/Anchor%20Steam%20beer.jpg)Anchor was regardedas the last speciality brewery of any kind in America, but set against a tideof often insipid, heavily promoted nations brands – think Budweiser, Coors,Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and a handful of other behemoths that dominated US brewing,it was sinking fast, and almost without trace. What happened next passed into legendamongst American beer lovers, so it is doubly upsetting seeing Anchor, onceagain under threat of vanishing from the North American beer scene.
It was 1965, and FritzMaytag, whose family owned one of the USA's principal washing machine companies,was a student at Stanford University. The laundry connection comes into playshortly, other wise I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but during his student days,Fritz was a regular at a San Francisco bar and restaurant, where Anchor Steam Beerwas stocked. One day, whilst sitting at the bar, and ordering an Anchor Steam, hewas told that the brewery was due to close at the end of the week.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjoLC1V8kZB5pWqgB2tQTL5h9TDfeIwSltL84lFWdcP abwy4XYxD3Qyn0MWUqrKgZwck0yhvzivT7nQiVDJslRlzPyThU ZD7Q9AddC6C61rnWkksQ4eFOb5jGayZ-vBRTCXF3ve3-cS0Fu7fowH1wjMmSy_pR3QvoRETKWE98NwMAcuAgISIskesZrN Q/w400-h266/Anchor%20Christmas%20Ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjoLC1V8kZB5pWqgB2tQTL5h9TDfeIwSltL84lFWdcP abwy4XYxD3Qyn0MWUqrKgZwck0yhvzivT7nQiVDJslRlzPyThU ZD7Q9AddC6C61rnWkksQ4eFOb5jGayZ-vBRTCXF3ve3-cS0Fu7fowH1wjMmSy_pR3QvoRETKWE98NwMAcuAgISIskesZrN Q/s1200/Anchor%20Christmas%20Ale.jpg)
Fritz was horrifiedbut was determined not to allow his favourite beer to disappear. At first, he thoughthis family connections might be able to provide some business experience tohelp the brewery. Instead, he found himself selling some shares in the family'sbusiness in order to become a partner and subsequent owner at Anchor Steam. Mostobservers thought he was crazy. The brewery was seriously underfunded, was situatedunderneath the freeway and employed only one person. Baker's yeast was used forthe fermentation, and in the absence of a bottling line, only draught beer wasproduced.Undeterred, Fritzput everything he could in the brewery, including making sales calls and doinghis own deliveries. He also learned as much as he could about the brewingprocess, making improvements wherever he could. Slowly, but surely Fritz beganturning the business around, although it took him 10 years before Anchor wasturning in a profit. Soon afterwards he moved the operation into a stylish1930s building that formerly housed a coffee roasting company. This was locatedin the fashionable, San Francisco district of Potrero Hill.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoiYOZnd_2gbt5FEvRypCM3Tp1V0069BZ3JeT7XqSMM hI5_9bgDadQVlcKoafVgzGBkrgbTuDl5eTLzPjkmg49b8b-HpDsbvR4h6LYv7_73oZl7Oq1iTDMX28nVDjL0p0LWBCG8MbzZY nmRZWCTrQgiuGX4QVn5zeK4MdHptP-4M_DIODl25Lfx19YVo/w400-h400/Anchor%20liberty.webp (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoiYOZnd_2gbt5FEvRypCM3Tp1V0069BZ3JeT7XqSMM hI5_9bgDadQVlcKoafVgzGBkrgbTuDl5eTLzPjkmg49b8b-HpDsbvR4h6LYv7_73oZl7Oq1iTDMX28nVDjL0p0LWBCG8MbzZY nmRZWCTrQgiuGX4QVn5zeK4MdHptP-4M_DIODl25Lfx19YVo/s512/Anchor%20liberty.webp)
Maytag’s philosophywas the company should always remain in touch with what they were about i.e., brewinga first-class beer. In order to achieve this, he designed the new Anchorbrewery so that all the officers faced directly onto the copper kettles, and otherbrewing vessels. As a further reminder of the ethos behind the business, thebrewery included a tap room, complete with a traditional, bar decorated withmemorabilia, where workers could relax over a few, after work beers. In addition,once a year, Fritz would take a party from the brewery, to the far north ofCalifornia, in order to see the barley being harvested. Other years, he wouldtake the staff to watch the hops, used in the brewery, being picked.Maytag’s determinationand drive, combined with his insistence of top-quality ingredients, that turnedAnchor’s flagship product, into a renowned classic, acknowledged by beer lovers,the world over. Anchor Steam beer was produced from pale and crystal malts andhopped three times throughout the brewing process with Northern Brewer hops. Fermentationtook place in a series of uniquely shallow fermentation vessels, each just twofoot deep. This produced a beer with an alcohol content of around 5%.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3_CRhIQbgEr_TTV9D79LV3qGk_muQPk9574r1MyiyA-F-N08iEFmFCFM9TuafFtpyKHYujkv4U6YDEVYDDJLVpZVO5EVVa8 RAtEujTJdO7v0QFbV8sEB_Oj3UPmtDugYMlqeQ6uykWqw30QLL cY6JbLo6EydQStQhnpD0jwX-fMGOdS_kDMSJt3rIJ8/w400-h300/20180812_151852.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3_CRhIQbgEr_TTV9D79LV3qGk_muQPk9574r1MyiyA-F-N08iEFmFCFM9TuafFtpyKHYujkv4U6YDEVYDDJLVpZVO5EVVa8 RAtEujTJdO7v0QFbV8sEB_Oj3UPmtDugYMlqeQ6uykWqw30QLL cY6JbLo6EydQStQhnpD0jwX-fMGOdS_kDMSJt3rIJ8/s4128/20180812_151852.jpg)
Fermentation was followedby three-week’s warm conditioning, and dry-hopping, before the beer was pasteurised,bottled, or kegged. Anchor Steam beer had the roundness and cleanness of a lagerbut some of the complexity of an ale. It was bronze in colour, with a pleasing naturalcarbonation, that was a good match for its clean, and pleasing fruitiness. Althoughthe term “steam beer” had been known for decades, it was the time, effort, andsheer dedication put in by Fritz and his team, that fostered and saved thisunique way of brewing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFFMmooPAaslW9xMOEbiOJ7mCcWgx66f7KoPfxXAgSl Z8VIGZ5O334FhOZNh2cRN_hAWLje2njznwKif-NIfEd69L4B1VZij6Xsga5yovlBZxxNwnEiyMEugwewUa9p1fT_ iFY7cjJMngoSx3JvdrAEz0VeBOcbPVCFAZ2pR9Afo-nQPcPYI5MGAEx3U/w400-h320/Anchor%20porter.png (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFFMmooPAaslW9xMOEbiOJ7mCcWgx66f7KoPfxXAgSl Z8VIGZ5O334FhOZNh2cRN_hAWLje2njznwKif-NIfEd69L4B1VZij6Xsga5yovlBZxxNwnEiyMEugwewUa9p1fT_ iFY7cjJMngoSx3JvdrAEz0VeBOcbPVCFAZ2pR9Afo-nQPcPYI5MGAEx3U/s1500/Anchor%20porter.png)
As well as SteamBeer, Anchor also produced the famous Liberty Ale, along with Old Foghorn Barleywine.Fritz’s rescue of Anchor preceded the micro-brewery movement in North Americaby 10 or 12 years, and whilst he never intended to spend his life as a brewer,what he achieved during his years at the helm of the company, proved inspirationalto a host of other aspiring brewers, both in the United States and further afield. As one industry commentator put it, “Fritz not only saved Anchor in 1965, but healso essentially laid the tracks for others to follow. Anchor Steam wasrecreated in a vacuum because there were no drinkable examples and few whoremembered it. Fritz may have "simply" Americanized dead, unpopular,or under-appreciated English styles like Pale Ale, IPA, Porter, Barley-wine, andHoliday beer, but he was very inspirational to the first small craft breweriesin Northern California.”
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgY2ZRZYNIbI1VVkJmUtZ3jVIGTKhv_RFPtzen2JhT-oQ4P6Nrj5yPwqpTsyqcw1FBIdMnLtzFn0NfB97KKMoulF71fnj HgFt3U8PLAH741mv-ODV4T67Yt6DTLxsly30AKAUAZm1uE-kEuopPNxkTklQ0Mc6wpCNeSAxISk0B4xmSobv5MqaPA9aNkk/w400-h300/20180812_134640.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgY2ZRZYNIbI1VVkJmUtZ3jVIGTKhv_RFPtzen2JhT-oQ4P6Nrj5yPwqpTsyqcw1FBIdMnLtzFn0NfB97KKMoulF71fnj HgFt3U8PLAH741mv-ODV4T67Yt6DTLxsly30AKAUAZm1uE-kEuopPNxkTklQ0Mc6wpCNeSAxISk0B4xmSobv5MqaPA9aNkk/s4128/20180812_134640.jpg)
Unfortunately,despite Maytag’s legacy, the iconic role he played at Anchor in bringing diversity,character, and style to the American brewing scene, was slowly buried over bythe years, as brewers in that part of the world began trying to out-compete oneanother by producing increasingly extreme beers. West Coast IPA Double IPA, NewEngland IPA, and a plethora of other different beer styles left Anchor Beer as arefugee in its own homeland. Ticking apps,such as Rate Beer and Untappd, spawned a whole generation of drinkers moreinterested in chasing the latest fad, than appreciating what they already had. This is a lesson Ifeel all beer lovers should take note of, and I have seen several American beercommentators making similar points. "Smoothie Pastry Hazy Juicy Dessert IPAs have destroyed classic beers. But we’reall to blame. I don’t understand why Sapporo would buy the brewery and shut itdown so quickly. Not only does that make no sense with regard to theirinvestment, but they have made a lot of enemies, too. But as fickle craft beerdrinkers we are all to blame. We are more focused on the latest fad and in theprocess let this classic brewery die a slow death. And that’s a shame of epicproportions."
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G64AKpHPcuIYksZmnvlD-7ro5vqJRvkNpDKGbBxlekRDyBxbSVieYf0W56C2AeYlInf-qyugkkKwRFqiOUu2ai2WNhI_Awiw9sREkDhnhUuqVTqXX1tA42 9lCtyPzXcJakxy_U2h_jX1zrz1AvfVa12jrumkeut2EhvSm4sy x0TWZYsgW4vkLVEVSFY/w400-h300/20181020_100018.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G64AKpHPcuIYksZmnvlD-7ro5vqJRvkNpDKGbBxlekRDyBxbSVieYf0W56C2AeYlInf-qyugkkKwRFqiOUu2ai2WNhI_Awiw9sREkDhnhUuqVTqXX1tA42 9lCtyPzXcJakxy_U2h_jX1zrz1AvfVa12jrumkeut2EhvSm4sy x0TWZYsgW4vkLVEVSFY/s4128/20181020_100018.jpg)
For my part I amextremely sorry to see Anchor disappear, because like many people who grew upwitnessing the micro-brewery revolution as it developed into a globalphenomenon, iconic beers, such as Anchor, which played such a pivotal role willalways have a special place in my heart. When we had our off licence, Anchor Steam,Porter, and Liberty Ale from San Francisco were regular staples on our shelves.We obtained them through an importer called James Clay & Sons, (https://www.jamesclay.co.uk/) who arestill trading today. That was 17 years ago, and since that time I have rarelyseen Anchor beers on sale anywhere in the UK. Let’s leave the finalwords of this sorry saga to Chuck Magerl, proprietor of Free State Brewing inKansas. Fritz Maytag and his crew created the amazing beer world in Americatoday. “When we opened Free State in early spring of 1989, the initial responsequickly outstripped our capacity to release new batches. We bought in the onlykeg of Anchor beer available in Kansas, as a way to offer a like-minded beerfor our guests.”
“Others played arole, but Fritz was the key. While the news of Anchor’s closing may yet unfoldwith another chapter, what is certain is the importance of what this Iowa guyachieved as he guided the historic San Francisco brewery into the new age.Wherever you have a beer this week, whatever flavour you enjoy, please join usin raising an appreciative toast to the world Fritz Maytag enhanced with hisdevotion at Anchor Brewing”.
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