Anchor closing?!

[DoctorDuvel]

One has to expect new ownership will not run Anchor the way it was run into its (albeit temporary, from current appearances) demise. Something has to change for its second life to be successful...

Cheers!

I'm very curious to see what happens. I thought that a lot of what brought about their downfall was just being located in San Fran; wonder if they'll open another facility someplace where costs are cheaper and keep San Fran as a tap room or something.

 

[IDMaynard]

The CEO of Chobani(yogurt guy) bought Anchor Brewing and claims he will keep it going. Might get some interesting sours going.

 

[shavy]

dont know if this is good or bad prolly not great but it looks like chobani bought anchor steam brewing
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/business/anchor-hamdi-ulukaya-chobani-ceo.html

Hmmmmm, Anchor Gose with lacto from Chobani?

 

[madscientist451]

I'm very curious to see what happens. I thought that a lot of what brought about their downfall was just being located in San Fran; wonder if they'll open another facility someplace where costs are cheaper and keep San Fran as a tap room or something.

Not all problems in business can be solved by cost cutting. Anchor needs to change with the times and come out with some new products. Sam Adams reportedly makes more money on their twisted tea and truly hard seltzer than they do on beer.

 

[day_trippr]

Sam Adams may be sold to Japanese beverage company Suntory.
Maybe not the best example to follow

 

[DoctorDuvel]

I fully expect them to try some new product lines. I assume the Chobani guy has a good plan to make it all work or else he wouldn't have bought them - but then that's probably what Sapporo thought too lol.

 

[rtstrider]

Well I'll have to source some wlp810 locally here and get a steam beer brewed for the occasion!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I fully expect them to try some new product lines. I assume the Chobani guy has a good plan to make it all work or else he wouldn't have bought them - but then that's probably what Sapporo thought too lol.

Yeah, I am not sure what I would suggest as a strategy.

Anchor Christmas Ale is a unique beer that a lot of beer geeks around the country would seek out. I would often pick up a 6-pack when I saw it for sale. Keeping that in the rotation for national distribution seem wise.

I am not sure what strategy will work for Anchor Steam. It probably has enough popularity for national distribution, but it might also be an outdated product that will struggle nationally (like it seems to have done on the past). They could just double down on it being a Bay-area unique beer.

Outside of tap room and local sales, I am not sure that Anchor should go hard on standard lagers or hazy IPAs (which it seems like the direction they were moving). Was their "California Lager" brewed with the same yeast as Anchor Steam? I could see some market for a few beers (Pale Lager, Hoppy Lager, Cold/West Coast IPA, Blonde) made with their house 'lager' yeast.

Anchor Porter was a fav of mine that I would like to see back in distribution (same for Sierra Nevada Porter). I have not had Liberty Ale in a while. Is there a huge market for a 5.9% Cascade hopped Pale Ale these days? Maybe locally, but likely not nationally.

 

[rtstrider]

Yeah, I am not sure what I would suggest as a strategy.

Anchor Christmas Ale is a unique beer that a lot of beer geeks around the country would seek out. I would often pick up a 6-pack when I saw it for sale. Keeping that in the rotation for national distribution seem wise.

I am not sure what strategy will work for Anchor Steam. It probably has enough popularity for national distribution, but it might also be an outdated product that will struggle nationally (like it seems to have done on the past). They could just double down on it being a Bay-area unique beer.

Outside of tap room and local sales, I am not sure that Anchor should go hard on standard lagers or hazy IPAs (which it seems like the direction they were moving). Was their "California Lager" brewed with the same yeast as Anchor Steam? I could see some market for a few beers (Pale Lager, Hoppy Lager, Cold/West Coast IPA, Blonde) made with their house 'lager' yeast.

Anchor Porter was a fav of mine that I would like to see back in distribution (same for Sierra Nevada Porter). I have not had Liberty Ale in a while. Is there a huge market for a 5.9% Cascade hopped Pale Ale these days? Maybe locally, but likely not nationally.

The BYO clone book shows the steam beer as using the Cali common strain. It shows the california lager as using either a variant of w34/70 or s-23. So IDK...Never really been able to get my hands on many Anchor brews. The california lager has been the FSU kickoff brew the past 2 years. It's going to be brewed again with Omega German Lager 1 DKO strain this year. I'm really curious to see how it turns out!

 

[madscientist451]

Thanks, hadn’t heard of the Suntory deal yet, but why isn’t that a good example? Isn’t a corporate takeover
better than being shut down and the pieces auctioned off?

Sam Adams may be sold to Japanese beverage company Suntory.
Maybe not the best example to follow

 

[Brooothru]

The BYO clone book shows the steam beer as using the Cali common strain. It shows the california lager as using either a variant of w34/70 or s-23. So IDK...Never really been able to get my hands on many Anchor brews. The california lager has been the FSU kickoff brew the past 2 years. It's going to be brewed again with Omega German Lager 1 DKO strain this year. I'm really curious to see how it turns out!

That Omega DKO German lager is either Andechs or Augustiner. I’ve got a pouch of it that I got last Fall that’s at or near its expiration but haven’t had the chance to use it yet.

I did, however, just brew with WLP-808 “Mythical Hammer” mixed strain lager yeast. White Labs is silent on which strains were combined, but it was formulated to be used in pressurized fermentations. I brewed a Blonde Ale trying to replicate Salty Crew from Coronado Brewing in San Diego.

I fermented at 63F @ 1BAR, and it reached final gravity in five days. Clean as a whistle, hops and malts well balanced, and no hint of diacytl. I was very pleased with the performance of the yeast.

Brewed, fermented, crashed and kegged in ten days! You might want to use the WLP-808 unpressurized at low to mid-60sF for a Cali Common to produce some subtle esters.

Thread drift: how are the ‘Noles looking for this year? We only made it to one home game last year, but tailgated like rock stars!

 

[DoctorDuvel]

I have not had Liberty Ale in a while. Is there a huge market for a 5.9% Cascade hopped Pale Ale these days?

Maybe the market will come back around for more classic beers since it seems the hazy and fruited and milkshake'd beers are falling away a bit - I loved Liberty Ale. By the way, whenever I read a comment from you, I hear it in my head with your delivery like in your videos, makes it pretty entertaining lol.

 

[day_trippr]

Thanks, hadn’t heard of the Suntory deal yet, but why isn’t that a good example? Isn’t a corporate takeover
better than being shut down and the pieces auctioned off?

If those are the two choices I suppose a sell-out is preferable to extinction. That said, the idea of "Sam Adams" being owned by any non-American corporation would be disappointing...

Cheers!