# Anchor Brewing Company: Sunk {Raise Anchor, Saved} **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [July 13, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995 "2023-07-13T17:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/21 "2023-07-14T22:00:07Z")
I only knew Anchor Steam because I think Red Lobster used to make salt and pepper shakers out of old bottles. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/22 "2023-07-14T23:30:47Z")
My Facebook feed is full of people saying, “This sucks. I love Anchor Steam. I used to drink it all the time but I haven’t had one in years”. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/23 "2023-07-15T00:24:02Z")
All it takes for evil beer to triumph is for good beer to go unbought for years. Spread the love by buying the stuff you care about, or watch it disappear. Your choice. Nobody else will do it for you. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/24 "2023-07-15T01:00:23Z")
Wow, quite a bummer to hear this news. What timing too, I had just bought a 24-pack of their beer a week ago, maybe I should just not drink it and hope they become collector’s items in the future. I also went on a tour of the brewery and tasting room some years back, which was pretty fun and IMO better value than the actual beer itself. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/25 "2023-07-15T01:15:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > All it takes for evil beer to triumph is for good beer to go unbought for years. > > Spread the love by buying the stuff you care about, or watch it disappear. Your choice. Nobody else will do it for you. - I’ve been doing that. Unfortunately, I’m not a heavy drinker. \< hangs head \> ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/26 "2023-07-15T01:18:50Z")
Well, I’m heading out to Total Wine for my bi-weekly beer restock. Hopefully they still have some Anchor Steam in stock (I’m a little worried the announcement might create a run on it). It’ll probably be my last case. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/27 "2023-07-15T03:41:47Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > “This sucks. I love Anchor Steam. I used to drink it all the time but I haven’t had one in years”. Guilty. Granted my beer consumption is pretty low these day in general. But still. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/28 "2023-07-15T03:45:54Z")
I was just over there. Empty shelves where they once were. Same at Safeway. ☹ I am hoping there is still some in the supply chain that make there way over here. In the mean time Total Wine has a good selection of local and CA brew, so I ended up with some Fort Rock. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/29 "2023-07-15T03:53:15Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I was just over there. Empty shelves where they once were. Same at Safeway. BevMo was sold out of the original Anchor Steam as well, but they did have four six packs of Anchor Porter. Well, now three since I bought one. Not exactly what I was looking for, but a decent consolation prize. I’ll check Trader Joe’s tomorrow but I suspect it will be the same. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/30 "2023-07-15T07:01:26Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > My Facebook feed is full of people saying, “This sucks. I love Anchor Steam. I used to drink it all the time but I haven’t had one in years”. The article linked above outlines many management mistakes, but I’ve been wondering how much of the problem was due to changing tastes. There is a just ton of variety in both brands and styles at my local liquor store – lots of beer with added flavors, lots of non-beers, tons of IPAs. It’s got to be impossible to get shelf space and if the brewery isn’t sized for the reduced sales, then it’s inevitable. It occurs to me that the craft/micro beer revolution happened nationwide ~30 years ago. The hip beers of our time are now relegated to the ‘boring Dad beer’ category. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/31 "2023-07-15T10:21:30Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > The article linked above outlines many management mistakes, but I’ve been wondering how much of the problem was due to changing tastes. There is a just ton of variety in both brands and styles at my local liquor store – lots of beer with added flavors, lots of non-beers, tons of IPAs. Around here, at least, there’s also now a lot of local breweries; a recent phenomenon, but it caught on fast once it got started. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/32 "2023-07-15T11:43:23Z")
Stocked coolers in a liquor store in college in the early 80s. We had one of the better selections of crafts/imports - maybe 20 or so. Back then, I was aware Anchor had a special place and history (tho I preferred Cooper’s). Boy, that rebrand is horrific! (Been sober nearly 20 years now.) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/33 "2023-07-15T14:02:41Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I’ll be darned if I can find that article again though. Maybe this one? > **[Beer Is Officially in Decline. It’s Both Better and Worse Than It Seems.](https://slate.com/business/2023/07/beer-sales-decline-explained-hard-seltzer-craft-beer.html)** > > We're all living in White Claw’s world now. But your favorite brewery may not be for long. Changing tastes certainly have an impact, but that wasn’t Anchor’s problem. It’s the problem a lot of regional breweries are facing: not big enough to weather the storm and diversify, but too big to be nimble, and most importantly too much debt to service. The big ones and the true micros are doing ok. > Infante believes that the best place to be in beer currently is a smaller brewery where you can make 70 to 80 percent of your revenue from taproom sales or “on-site carry-away sales.” If you can make a living doing that for you and your three employees, “do that all fucking day long,” he says. “Don’t get any bigger. Ever.” ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/34 "2023-07-15T15:06:25Z")
Not being very familiar with the brand (I don’t think I’ve ever had one), I actually like the redesigned logo. I prefer simplicity and clean lines in my logos. The old one is very busy. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/35 "2023-07-15T16:03:11Z")
The last time I had an Anchor Steam was at our recent San Francisco dopefest. I hadn’t had one for years before that, I haven’t seen it in the stores (that I routinely go to) for quite a while now. It’s a shame, it’s good beer. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/36 "2023-07-15T16:37:11Z")
Like everybody else, Anchor was my first exposure to “good” beer. Also like everybody else, I haven’t had one in years. If I had ever seen the redesigned label in the wild, I would have refused to buy any on the basis of the crappy design alone. I’m going to miss it, but only as a fond memory. Too many better beers being produced semi-locally for me to feel their loss. I say semi-locally because the 2 breweries in my town both suck. One just plain doesn’t know how to brew decent beer and the other is a hang-out for MAGAts and their ilk. So I am forced to drive 10 miles to the neighboring town, which has 3 excellent brewery/taprooms. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/37 "2023-07-15T19:13:48Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I actually like the redesigned logo. I prefer simplicity and clean lines in my logos. The old one is very busy. The old one is very 1880s owner-knows-best. The new one is very 1990s graphic-designer/focus group-knows-best. I know which era I associate with “real” beer and “real” labeling. Despite being a _wee bit_ too young to have experienced the 1880s first hand. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/38 "2023-07-17T04:29:07Z")
No shit?!? I am going to look tomorrow. I haven’t had an Anchor Porter since the 1980’s and that is well past due! The Anchor Porter was freaking great (at the time and may have stood the taste of time), and Fritz Maytag invented what is American Porter. He didn’t like the English version and therefore made the American. Sierra Nevada quickly followed suit. IIRC, I much prefered the Anchor Porter and the Sierra Nevada Stout. Sheesh have choices changed since the early 1980’s, and for the better! ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/39 "2023-07-21T03:03:29Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I was just over there. Empty shelves where they once were. Hey @snowthx, it’s back in stock at Total Wine! There’s a big stack of 12 packs at the end of the aisle, and some 6 packs on the shelf. I overheard the cashier say they had placed a big final order. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995/40 "2023-07-21T23:43:39Z")
The Union that represents Anchor employees is attempting to buy the brewery and turn it into an employee owned co-op: > **[Anchor Brewing Co. Employees Now Trying to Buy the Brewery, Make It A...](https://sfist.com/2023/07/20/anchor-brewing-co-employees-now-trying-to-buy-back-brewery-make-it-a-worker-owned-co-op/?fbclid=IwAR3_ZxcA3yQnx3fQMVpJbDZwy4E5Avg51BppaRI2rtJzK0ZKhYxlk7l0vQY)** > > There’s yet another bid for the bankrupt, 127-year-old Anchor Brewing Co., and the call is coming from inside the house, as brewery employees are launching a seemingly longshot bid to buy the company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anchor-brewing-company-sunk-raise-anchor-saved/986995.md?page=3)