Predating the term "craft beer" by a hundred odd years, Anchor Brewing has been producing high-quality suds in San Francisco since the turn of the 19th century. Its flagship Steam beer is the only widely consumed example of California Common — a historic style of lager traditionally brewed without the use of refrigeration. Yet with a heritage so proudly rooted in the past, Anchor has never hesitated to forge a brazen path into the future, introducing innovative new expressions into the market.
Liberty Ale, as an example, became the first mass-marketed American IPA when it hit the shelves in 1975. Today the brewery continues to push boundaries — stylistically and geographically — with its experimental Zymaster Series and the construction of a massive new facility in Mission Rock. But how does the brewery plan to stay relevant in an increasingly saturated field of modern microbrewing? Anchor President and CEO Keith Greggor provides some insight.
"Our future follows the same path of the past: authenticity, quality, heritage, and innovation," says Greggor. It might be the same rhetoric you'd expect to hear from any brand ambassador, but Anchor has backed up those all-too-familiar buzzwords with some fascinating releases over the last two years. The brewery's Winter Wheat, which hit shelves at the end of 2014, was darker and maltier than anything typical to the category. The spring Saison, loaded with characteristics standard to the style — lemon peel, coriander, lemongrass — stands apart with the addition of ginger, enhancing the earthy spice of the beer's Belgian yeast core.
The brewery has also formed unlikely partnerships with notable neighbors from the local landscape. "We partnered with [The Black Crowes lead singer] Chris Robinson to develop a 'gig' beer that could be enjoyed throughout a long concert," says Greggor. The result — Brotherhood Steam — is a clean and crisp session ale that will be canned and available for purchase at Whole Foods by the start of spring. Although it's a rather uncontroversial offering, Brotherhood attains notability by combining the cultural mainstays of craft beer and indie rock into a single product.
Anchor followed a similar synergy with the national pastime, as its new 500,000 barrel brewery on Pier 48 will be a stone's throw from AT&T Park. The new facility will quadruple its annual production. "We will have a sizable bar and restaurant, a museum as well as an education center," Greggor explains. "We have completed the design and are now working through the environmental impact report. I hope we will see beer coming out by 2017."
And increased space means increased capacity for experimentation. "Naturally we'll have a full lineup of our beers as most beer drinkers are unaware of our range, but we are always interested in doing one-offs," Greggor says. To wit, the brewery's ongoing experimental Zymaster Series just celebrated its seventh release — Potrero Hill, a sour mash IPA. To make it, the brewery used the same mash as its Old Potrero rye whiskey.
As it prepares for expansion, Anchor appears committed to its longstanding relationship with San Francisco. As the city's largest manufacturer, Anchor has a partnership that greatly benefits both parties. "Anchor is part of the fabric of the city and at one time was the only brewery in S.F.," says Greggor. "I feel more like the custodian than co-owner and CEO with a weighty responsibility to keep the connection to the city healthy and relevant."
Anchor is unwilling to rest on the laurels of Steam. It continues to change the game by releasing beers that provide a sensible balance between malt, hops, and yeast, resisting the du jour trends of over-hopped IPAs and malt-heavy imperial stouts. The new facility will manifest that mentality into a physical space, balancing the needs of the newly developed Mission Rock neighborhood with the demands of an increasingly thirsty community of craft enthusiasts. The brewery and its legacy are as integral to the makeup of the city as hills and internet startups.
An exciting new chapter heads our way in the months ahead. And no matter where Anchor goes, its flagship Steam will always be there waiting with open arms.
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