Anchor

[BottledInBond]

Anchor Brewing / Distilling is going under. Obviously they haven’t been a major player in whiskey but many of us have tried Old Potrero. I’m a little more sad about the beer. the Christmas Ale around the holidays was always a nice tradition. 
 

 

[flahute]

Whoa! I love the Christmas Ale. Any worries idea what’s causing this?

[dean_martin]

4 hours ago, flahute said:

Whoa! I love the Christmas Ale. Any worries idea what’s causing this?

I was an Anchor Christmas Ale fan, too.  It won a holiday beer tasting at my house.  This article was posted on another message board site:  https://vinepair.com/booze-news/anchor-brewing-company-sale/

Apparently, adjusting each year for the Christmas Ale wasn't profitable:  https://vinepair.com/articles/hop-take-anchor-brewing-future/

[smokinjoe]

Bummed about this.  The Christmas Ale was fabulous.  

[MM818]

Damn. I feel like Anchor Steam, Liberty, and Christmas have a lot of value. Curious if those could be purchased by another brewer. 
 

I for one request Anchor products seldom these days. I see their handles but the market is so crowded I just couldn’t place the order!  I feel like they lost their innovation. I read the article @dean_martin posted and see some sound reasoning. 
 

I will look forward to some nods to these legendary beers in the near future. 
 

 

[TwoFingers]

This makes me sad.  I always liked Anchor Steam and, like other said, the Christmas Ale was always nice to have every year.  

[BottledInBond]

This topic really illustrates the changes in consumer preferences, whether short term fade or long term shifts. Much like the bourbon glut that seems so strange to think about today, but was very real at the time. Many of the craft beer fans have gravitated towards hoppy IPAs, sours, and barrel aged stouts, which are not the areas where Anchor shined. There has also been an explosion of newer breweries competing for a finite amount of shelf space and tap lines. Fortunately during the bourbon glut, the producers that survived could be patient as their product is more or less non-perishable. Unfortunately for Anchor, beer is very perishable. 
 

Sad and as at least one person mentioned, I’m surprised they weren’t just acquired. Maybe someone will resurrect the brand eventually a la Michter’s, etc. 

[Wedelstaedt]

Once upon a time, I would purchase a different beer brand every week. So I tried a lot of beer. During that time, I discovered Anchor. I really liked the beer and was intrigued by the history of the brand ( being a history buff,) so this news hurts. 
 

From my porch, what I see, is a small brand that got squeezed out by the larger brands and the “what is hot now “phenomenon.  I suppose it is a reality of modern business; a successful niche company gets consumed by a megacorp, then, when the acquisition doesn’t perform, it is off with their heads. 

Sigh. I hate the new economy (I am a hardcore capitalist btw.). 
 

Cheers

[BottledInBond]

For anyone still interested, I saw this article which I thought was helpful in clarifying the status of the Old Potrero side. I hadn’t realized they were spun out into a different entity, and not impacted by the Anchor shutdown:

 

https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/07/19/anchor-brewing-might-be-gone-but-the-tradition-of-anchor-distilling-lives-on/amp/

[PhantomLamb]

I loved Anchor Steam, what a bummer.