May 8, 2013
With Anchor historian Dave Burkhart and guest blogger David Johnston Mark Sarigianis contacted me last year with the hope that Anchor might be able to help David Johnston and his Sharp Teeth Press with the publication of Evan Rail’s extraordinary essay on Why Beer Matters. I was already familiar with Rail’s Good Beer Guide to… read entire article
April 26, 2013
In this three-part series, Anchor historian Dave Burkhart recounts the true tale of a man, a goat, and their beer—not bock, as one might expect, but steam beer—in nineteenth-century San Francisco. When we last heard from our heroes, Yankee Sullivan and his pet goat Jack were incarcerated, recovering from their steam-beer-induced New Year’s revelry.… read entire article
April 25, 2013
In this three-part series, Anchor historian Dave Burkhart recounts the true tale of a man, a goat, and their beer—not bock, as one might expect, but steam beer—in nineteenth-century San Francisco. In Part I of our story, we heard the San Francisco Chronicle’s account of the steam-beer-swilling San Franciscan and his steam-beer-swilling goat. The… read entire article
April 24, 2013
In this three-part series, Anchor historian Dave Burkhart recounts the true tale of a man, a goat, and their beer—not bock, as one might expect, but steam beer—in nineteenth-century San Francisco. Disclaimer: What follows is a true story, exactly as told in the San Francisco papers 115 years ago. It is literally history. We do… read entire article
April 17, 2013
The craft beer industry has seen a lot of activity in recent years having to do with the resurrection of the use of wooden barrels during the aging process. While today’s brewers are producing many differing styles that employ wood vessels somewhere along the way, the history is a bit simpler. Back in the day,… read entire article
April 11, 2013
As a seafaring nation, England was at the height of its empire through much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With far-flung colonies, a mighty navy, and one of the the world’s largest merchant fleets, the British were a dominant force in global trade for the better part of two centuries. British merchant ships like… read entire article
April 4, 2013
Bob Brewer answers your questions about the world of craft beer and brewing. Katie: When are hops ready to pick? Bob: The easy answer is when they’re ripe. Hops usually ripen, if that’s the proper term, in late summer/early fall. The plant is a fast-growing perennial that dies back every year. The cones are ready for… read entire article
March 13, 2013
Bob Brewer, Anchor’s resident expert on beer & brewing, takes a behind-the-scenes look at the craft brewing process and the terminology used in the Anchor brewhouse. D.E. is short for “diatomaceous earth,” which we use as a beer filtering agent. D.E. occurs naturally as a mined substance comprised of the fossilized silica shells of… read entire article
January 23, 2013
Bob Brewer (yes, that’s his real name) answers your questions about the world of beer & brewing. Today’s topic is yeast! Greg asked about employing a lager yeast or an ale yeast when home brewing a “California Common” and would the results be the same. He also asked about the specific differences between the malt bills… read entire article
January 16, 2013
By Anchor historian Dave Burkhart “And for to make the merry cheere, If smirking Wine be wanting here, There’s that which drowns all care, stout Beere; Which freely drink to your Lord’s health, Then to the plough, (the Common-wealth) Next to your Flailes, your Fanes, your Fatts; Then to the Maids with Wheaten Hats: To… read entire article
January 9, 2013
Although the term “barleywine” has been around for a lot longer – some historians have traced it back as far as ancient Greece – barleywine as a commercial product was only first labeled as such by the Bass & Co. Brewery in 1903. Stylistically-speaking, barleywine is an ale that is characterized by its full body… read entire article
January 7, 2013
The photos are in. The votes are tallied. The winners have been selected. But before we get to the results of our Holiday Beertography Challenge, we’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to capture their holiday moment with an Anchor brew and share it with us. We love… read entire article
November 29, 2012
Although the hop plant has been known and used for a variety of purposes since ancient times, its use in brewing did not become widespread until the 16th century. Prior to that time, beers were flavored and balanced by the addition of herbs and spices of all kinds. A blend of herbs, known as “gruit,”… read entire article
October 13, 2012
It was another sold-out session on Day 2 of the Great American Beer Festival, with thousands of craft beer enthusiasts on hand to sample over 2,700 beers at the Colorado Convention Center. Continuing the theme from Thursday’s session, there were plenty of creative costumes among the crowd, adding to the festive atmosphere at the Anchor… read entire article
October 12, 2012
Craft beer lovers from far and wide converged on the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver for Day 1 of the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. Beer is social, and friends new and old stopped by the Anchor Brewing booth to Raise an Anchor and share thoughts and stories about craft beer. We kicked off… read entire article
October 11, 2012
Excitement was in the air as we arrived in Denver for the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. Our gear was loaded into the Colorado Convention Center and the setup process began. The hard part is done. Now it’s time to enjoy some Anchor brews! Here’s what we’ll be pouring at Day 1 of GABF: Anchor… read entire article
September 18, 2012
Dylan: Why do craft breweries not use twist-off bottle caps? Bob: There are several reasons why. From a marketing perspective, twist-off caps have sort of a down market/ big brewery/ domestic lager/ light beer image associated with them in the eyes of the craft/ import consumer. Imported beers all have pry-off caps, which supports an… read entire article
September 13, 2012
Among the most arcane of Bay Area historical landmarks is the site of the Broderick-Terry duel, September 13, 1859. Designated California State Historical Landmark No. 19, two granite shafts mark the spots near Lake Merced (1100 Lake Merced Boulevard, Daly City) where two distinguished pioneer gentlemen stood in defense of their honor. Born in Washington,… read entire article
September 6, 2012
Bob Brewer, Anchor’s resident expert on beer & brewing, takes a behind-the-scenes look at the craft brewing process and the terminology used in the Anchor brewhouse. “Dry hopping” refers to the process of adding hops to the beer while it is in the cellar tank, in addition to the hops added in the brew kettle during… read entire article
September 3, 2012
Anchor Brewing historian Dave Burkhart uncovers the truth behind one of the most famous quotes about San Francisco that Mark Twain didn’t say. Mark Twain is what Fred Shapiro, author of the Yale Book of Quotations, calls “the great American quotation magnet.” If it’s clever, witty, or ironic, it simply must have been Twain (AKA… read entire article
