Jump to content

Anchor Steam ends National Distribution, wont make Christmas Ale anymore

AUS-97HORN

By AUS-97HORN
in Food and Travel

 Share

Recommended Posts

Carl Spackler

Carl Spackler 3,488

Posted
Posted

I used to see Anchor Steam in bars and restaurants a lot more than I do now.  Once upon a time many years ago, it was one of the few "craft" beers I would see on a regular basis.  But it got overtaken by the craft brewing revolution that it helped spark.  I haven't had an AS in either bottle or draft form in a long time.   

  • Hook 'Em 4
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Deej

Deej 76,858

Posted
Posted
37 minutes ago, We’reTexas said:

You mean fuck Japan? Sapporo bought them in 2017, this is probably part of their streamlining. 

I think they will keep making some Christmas Ale for the brewery. 

An article I read said they won't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Blotto

Blotto 23,560

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Draft Anchor Steam at Swan Oyster Depot is just the best.

I was in SF a couple of  weekends ago and knocked back a couple draft Anchor Steams at lunch  with oysters and some chowder (not at Swan) Hadn't had any in years but its  still a solid offering.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Napoleon

Napoleon 8,692

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Rimbo said:

I would feel worse about this, but

1. Every time I drink that stuff, I get the worst headaches, and

2. I live in California so I can still buy some and get headaches from it anyway

California rules!

 

IMG_3219.thumb.jpeg.ed3530f0c5c4d18b3851946c6ac61891.jpeg

Surly Summer Ski-Trip

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WhatTheBuck

WhatTheBuck 28,794

Posted
Posted

Wow, that sucks. I love Anchor Steam. Their Christmas Ale is also usually excellent. Not always. It’s different every year. But it’s usually very good. I don’t drink Anchor as often as I used to. But it used to be my favorite and I drank it more than any other beer. I should probably go buy a sixer if they’re still on the shelves.

I was given a personal tour of the Anchor Brewery one time. It was when they took me into the hop room that I realized where that Anchor Steam flavor comes from and how the hops affect the flavor of beer. That was an eye opening moment. It was beautiful. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Texzilla58

Texzilla58 4,741

Posted
Posted

Meh. Truly a beer with more romance than quality. The brand benefitted by being an early player in the craft movement when it was really more a regional mass producer. Like a west coast Sam Adams. I would drink it some on trips to Cali in the 80’s , and just didn’t when I lived in SF in the 90’s. By that time real craft brewers were emerging and then moved to Portland which was ground zero.

A lot of these regional beers don’t travel well because they don’t control the supply chain, freight is expensive, and the aisle is crowded. I expect more of them to contract distribution for similar reasons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WhatTheBuck

WhatTheBuck 28,794

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

I don't even drink anymore and this bums me out.   The Christmas Ale label was different each year with a different type of tree as the symbol each year.   Oh well. 

There’s a bar in their brewery with a shelf that runs all around the top of the room displaying their Christmas Ale bottles throughout the years. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
52-80

52-80 19,205

Posted
Posted

There is such an excess of beers and beer brands now from the microbrew cambrian explosion of the last 2 decades that if 3/4th of any random drinks disappeared overnight, its hard to notice.

There's probably a ton of bottles that you could buy that taste near identical to Christmas Ale or Anchor Steam or whatever.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
dcbc

dcbc 14,496

Posted
Posted

I used to roll into parties in Austin back in the 90s with a six pack of Anchor Steam and get weird looks from the Miller Lite crowd.  I picked up some a few years back and it tasted like it had been on the shelf a while.  Too bad.  But as long as I can still buy SNPA, I'll be okay.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
HouTex

HouTex 1,887

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, dcbc said:

I used to roll into parties in Austin back in the 90s with a six pack of Anchor Steam and get weird looks from the Miller Lite crowd.  I picked up some a few years back and it tasted like it had been on the shelf a while.  Too bad.  But as long as I can still buy SNPA, I'll be okay.

This.  SNPA is still my favorite ale.  Just the right weight and bitterness.  

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
Bateshorn

Bateshorn 9,928

Posted
Posted (edited)
12 minutes ago, AnotherUTFan said:

They are done. Sad day in San Francisco. An institution.

https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/anchor-brewing-company-ceasing-operations-18196509.php

Buckle up, because a lot of craft beers you either know or love are going to disappear over the next few years.  I was taking to a local brewer this weekend and he basically summed up the industry this way:  if you are a macro, or a tiny tap room, you are doing fine. Everyone else is getting squeezed six ways from Saturday by inflation, leveraged PE, and over saturation 

Edited by Bateshorn
  • Rage+1 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Trey3216

Trey3216 15,350

Posted
Posted

I remember when I'd start off a Friday or saturday at a brew pub near me with an Anchor Old Foghorn.  Like 14% ABV.  I'd sip on that for about an hour, then would move onto the lighter things.  Would end up saving me some scratch by the end of the evening rather than ripping through quantity beers every 12-15 minutes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Macanudo

Macanudo 12,999

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Buckle up, because a lot of craft beers you either know or love are going to disappear over the next few years.  I was taking to a local brewer this weekend and he basically summed up the industry this way:  if you are a macro, or a tiny tap room, you are doing fine. Everyone else is getting squeezed six ways from Saturday by inflation, leveraged PE, and over saturation 

Plus shelf space.   Stores, especially groceries, just don't have the space or desire to devote a huge amount their cold case to craft brews that don't sell huge volumes.  

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
AnotherUTFan

AnotherUTFan 9,763

Posted
Posted

For those unaware, Fritz Maytag and Anchor Steam literally started the whole craft beer revolution single handedly. At one point demand was so strong he started teaching other people to start breweries just to take some pressure off his own.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2015/07/31/how-anchor-brewing-changed-the-beer-business.html

Surely somebody will buy the brand and it will continue in some form, hopefully in its current facility.

  • Hook 'Em 3
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TornACL

TornACL 7,722

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Plus shelf space.   Stores, especially groceries, just don't have the space or desire to devote a huge amount their cold case to craft brews that don't sell huge volumes.  

Yep. Thanks a lot, seltzer-drinking fucks.

  • Hook 'Em 3
  • Rage+1 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 77,235

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, AnotherUTFan said:

For those unaware, Fritz Maytag and Anchor Steam literally started the whole craft beer revolution single handedly. At one point demand was so strong he started teaching other people to start breweries just to take some pressure off his own.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2015/07/31/how-anchor-brewing-changed-the-beer-business.html

Surely somebody will buy the brand and it will continue in some form, hopefully in its current facility.


maybe they’ll pack up and relocate to a better spot to do business in 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 26,019

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Bateshorn said:

Buckle up, because a lot of craft beers you either know or love are going to disappear over the next few years.  I was taking to a local brewer this weekend and he basically summed up the industry this way:  if you are a macro, or a tiny tap room, you are doing fine. Everyone else is getting squeezed six ways from Saturday by inflation, leveraged PE, and over saturation 

What bugs me is that I'll go to the local craft brew section of the store, and what you see are twenty three different brands of IPA. And I guess that's great, if you like IPAs. But it's not really variety, is it?

  • Hook 'Em 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Blotto

Blotto 23,560

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Bateshorn said:

Buckle up, because a lot of craft beers you either know or love are going to disappear over the next few years.  I was taking to a local brewer this weekend and he basically summed up the industry this way:  if you are a macro, or a tiny tap room, you are doing fine. Everyone else is getting squeezed six ways from Saturday by inflation, leveraged PE, and over saturation 

It was never a matter of if, but when. I honestly feel that 50% of the breweries in America could go out of business tomorrow and it wouldn't really matter one fuck to me. Dont get me wrong, I'm sure I'd lose the option to purchase some of my favorites, but in reality there will still be thousands to choose from. I laugh when I cruise the aisles at Spes or Total Wine, because I have no idea about 99.75% of the beers in there. 

image.thumb.png.b30cff72556b126384507d486a51cfe8.png

That total at the close of 2022 was ~9700 breweries. That's a hell of a surge in 25 years. 

7 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Legal weed is the looming big killer of all varieties of alcohol.

No doubt. I can take an edible in the evening, catch a buzz for less than $5, sleep great and wake up with no aftereffects. I'll still drink here and there, but my overall alcohol consumption is probably down 80%+ from 10 years ago. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 26,019

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, Horn_Spanker said:

Maybe they should have lowered their prices?  Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. 

Tell me you don't know anything about running a business without telling me...

anchor steam: We can no longer afford the costs of making our beer!

horn_spanker: You should lower your prices!

as: So... that... we lose MORE money per bottle?

hs: but you'll make up for it in increased volume!

🤦

Edited by Rimbo
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Macanudo

Macanudo 12,999

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

What bugs me is that I'll go to the local craft brew section of the store, and what you see are twenty three different brands of IPA. And I guess that's great, if you like IPAs. But it's not really variety, is it?

Hazy Mango Guava Tropical NEIPAs aren't going to drink themselves.  

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Deej

Deej 76,858

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

What bugs me is that I'll go to the local craft brew section of the store, and what you see are twenty three different brands of IPA. And I guess that's great, if you like IPAs. But it's not really variety, is it?

 

andyrooney-60minutes.gif

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18,015

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Blotto said:

No doubt. I can take an edible in the evening, catch a buzz for less than $5, sleep great and wake up with no aftereffects. I'll still drink here and there, but my overall alcohol consumption is probably down 80%+ from 10 years ago. 

It's anecdotal but my high schooler doesn't really know any teens that drink. Sure, some have a beer here or there but there's no getting drunk at all among her high school peers.  However, about 80% smoke weed. If that's the pattern everywhere, alcohol companies are gonna be in a world of hurt when a generation gets over 21 and doesn't drink like previous generations.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Fuck Around and Find Out 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 26,019

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

It's anecdotal but my high schooler doesn't really know any teens that drink. Sure, some have a beer here or there but there's no getting drunk at all among her high school peers.  However, about 80% smoke weed. If that's the pattern everywhere, alcohol companies are gonna be in a world of hurt when a generation gets over 21 and doesn't drink like previous generations.

My son's high school was all about the vaping. Not his peer group, mind you...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...