Anchor Brewing Co.

Craft beer history in the heart of California

Born in the Gold Rush, Anchor pioneered the American craft beer revolution. Large beer manufacturers offered bland products for the masses, but there, in San Francisco, California, history was made.

Those striking copper kettles are the beating heart of Anchor's legendary steam beer. Crafted in Germany and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, navigated through the Panama Canal, and sailed straight into the San Francisco Bay.

Those striking German copper kettles are the beating heart of Anchor's legendary steam beer. Crafted in Germany and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean, navigated through the Panama Canal, and sailed straight into the San Francisco Bay.

During the Gold Rush, boiling beer liquid was pumped onto San Francisco rooftops to be chilled by the cool Pacific breezes. This open-air cooling process released massive clouds of vapor into the night air, making the entire brewery look as if it were steaming. While this visual effect is a historical fact, the actual name "steam beer" remains a mystery, which could stem from the industrial Steam Era, hissing keg pressure, or high carbonation.

We worked through what was on offer. We took a tour, learned about the process, and saw the insides of this legendary place. And we tried their products, crisp, honest beers with no pretension.

A lot of experimenting and many refills at the bar. Anchor Steam Beer and Liberty Ale might be the most well-known, but the list was much longer and more variable.

Across from the main building, we found a very nice warehouse-type drinking venue. Casual, spacious, the kind of place you don't rush out of. A bonus: they had some of the experimental beers on tap there, which you cannot get anywhere else, and it was those that stole the show.

Worth a solid visit. Go for the history, start your craft beer experience at the roots. Enjoy what they cook, you will find some good beers on tap for sure. This is how a journey about craft beers should commence.

Serious note from late 2025:

In 2023, the brewery went dark. Sapporo, the Japanese family that had owned Anchor for a while, pulled the plug; 127 years of American brewing history went into dust. Aparently, under the new ownership, the revival is underway, and the signs are encouraging. This place deserves to make it. If you want to understand how the brewery industry, exploited by private equity and facing declining market sentiment, might end up on life support, the Blue Table Group’s performance angle is worth a read.