The Anchor Brewing tour is a fun, educational, and beer-filled experience enjoyed by San Francisco locals and tourists alike. The tours include a visit to the brewhouse, the fermentation rooms, the conditioning cellars, and the bottling shop with explanations of the various steps in the brewing process. And, for everyone’s favorite part, the tours conclude with an extensive… read entire article
There is a whole lot of talk about which glass is appropriate for serving a given style of beer and why it’s important to do so. In days of yore, drinking vessels were whatever was in reach and held liquid. These were variously tankards, flagons, pots, jacks, clay mugs, goblets, and horns just to mention… read entire article
Colin Richard (via Facebook): Does beer contain fluoride, or is the water they use filtered beforehand? Bob: The short answer is no. This is an interesting question that I have been asked before, often by people who are concerned by such things as the GMO debate or other environmental and health issues. Fluoride is a naturally occurring compound… read entire article
By Matt Canter, Certified Cicerone® and member of the Anchor Marketing team. As educated craft beer enthusiasts (you wouldn’t think we would spend all day here at Anchor without completely geeking out learning as much as we can about craft beer, now would you?) we’re fortunate to find ourselves in close proximity to a plentiful selection craft beer bars… read entire article
Bob Brewer debunks a few of the common myths associated with dark beers. Don’t be afraid of the dark. On February 5, 2015, Anchor Brewing Company announced the release of Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout, which first saw the light of day last year as the third release in our Zymaster Series of limited edition brews. We… read entire article
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. What is a “grist mill”? Every brewery has one. Sometimes referred to as the “malt mill,” the grist mill breaks apart the malt to expose the starch body of… read entire article
Question (via email): How can I order my favorite beer at my local bar and test to see if they’re serving it correctly? Am I getting the best possible product presentation? Bob: When ordering in a bar, there are several things to look for when being served up your favorite beer – or any beer for… read entire article
Question (via email): How do brewers get a beer to be dark and 4% alcohol but some beers are pale yellow and can be close to 10% ABV and higher? Where does the ABV come from? Bob: This question ties in with another closely related one which asks: Why do people assume that dark beer is heavy?… read entire article
Question (via email): Are there any trends in craft that you see that might have the popularity and durability of IPA? Bob: In my lengthy experience in the world of craft beer, I have seen many trends come, be the rage, and then fade. IPA, however, seems to be here for the foreseeable future. In… read entire article
Bob Brewer looks at the history and evolution of lager, the most popular beer style on the planet. Many of us who inhabit the craft corner of today’s American brewing industry, myself included, have at times tended to dismiss the vastly greater and hugely popular pale lager style of beer. As of early 2014, the… read entire article
Bob Brewer answers your questions about the world of beer and brewing. Alex: What would happen if Liberty Ale were put in a cask? Bob: Alex, Liberty Ale was not intended to be a “cask” ale. We certainly could produce a similar product but it would not be the same on several levels. First, Liberty Ale… read entire article
A question that regularly pops up during our tours or at tastings and special events is “What’s the difference between ale and lager?” Or sometimes, “What’s the difference between ale and beer?” First, the beer question. It’s all beer no matter what you call it. Beer is the all-inclusive description for an alcoholic beverage made… read entire article
Dan: I was told that beer over 90 days old should be destroyed and yet I see all these imports and boutique beers on the shelves much longer. What’s up with that? Bob: What’s up with that? While most beers are best enjoyed fresh, there is no time-lapse poison pill in the bottle that spoils… read entire article
Anchor historian Dave Burkhart debunks the most frequently misquoted and misattributed sayings about beer and San Francisco. “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” We at Anchor Brewing have no doubt of the truth of this statement. But of the author? Well, it simply wasn’t Benjamin Franklin. Wishfully but… read entire article
