Anchor Brewing Debuts Anchor Steam® Artist Label

“In a city that’s constantly evolving, the arts have remained a bona fide element
of San Francisco. At Anchor, we’re proud to support the rich artistic heritage of
the city we’ve called home for 123 years,” says Anchor Brewmaster Scott
Ungermann. “With its unique, rich flavor and unparalleled history, Anchor Steam
was the choice brew for the limited-edition label. We hope Anchor Steam fans
will enjoy its special packaging as they crack open our flagship brew throughout
the summer.”

The Golden Gate Bridge completed construction on the same year as Anchor’s
current brewery, located on San Francisco’s Potrero Hill. Both structures were
completed in 1937 and still possess their art deco styles of architecture today.
This August, Anchor Brewing Company will celebrate its 40 th year operating
within the Potrero Hill brewery.

In 1965, Fritz Maytag acquired and revived the struggling Anchor Brewery.Anchor Steam (4.9% ABV) was the first handcrafted beer to be revitalized in
America after Prohibition, starting a revolution in beer that originated today’s beer
movement. In 1971, Fritz Maytag began bottling Anchor Steam Beer—the first
bottled Anchor Steam in modern times. The distinctly flavored San Francisco
original has been classically handcrafted in Anchor’s copper brewhouse for 123
years and counting. Neither fully a lager nor fully an ale, Anchor Steam is in a
category of its own, created by fermenting a lager yeast at warmer ale
temperatures.

Anchor Steam Beer derives its unusual name from the 19th century when
“steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under
primitive conditions and without ice. While the origin of the name remains
shrouded in mystery, it likely relates to the original practice of fermenting the beer
on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air
naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans.
Today, Anchor Brewing is one of the very few American breweries that still
employs open fermentation on a commercial scale. Although Anchor has
modern equipment and their fermenters are made of stainless steel—and not on
rooftops—Anchor has kept this process as part of the brewing heritage for
Anchor Steam as well as other beers.

Anchor Steam owes its bright copper color, frosty tan head and rich, distinctive
flavor to this unique, historic brewing process. It is a process that combines deep
respect for brewing tradition with many decades of evolution to arrive at a unique
approach: a blend of pale and caramel malts, fermentation with lager yeast at
warmer ale temperatures in shallow open-air fermenters, and gentle carbonation
in Anchor’s cellars through an all-natural process called kräusening.

With flavors of mild toasted malt and a touch of caramel, Anchor Steam is
balanced by bright, piney hoppiness. It has aromas of toasted bread crust
maltiness followed by bright evergreen Northern Brewer hops and floral esters.
A smooth and velvety mouthfeel is accompanied by lively bubbles from the
natural kräusening process and a crisp, bright hop finish. It pairs well with any
seafood dish, steak with caramelized onions, and grilled portobello mushrooms.

Anchor Steam Artist Label is now available for a limited-time nationwide in 6-
packs of 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles and on draught at select bars, restaurants,
and stores as well as at Anchor Public Taps and the Anchor Brewing
Taproom.  You can find a brew near you by using the Anchor Beer Finder. 

For more information on the history and craft of Anchor Steam Beer, please
watch the following video: Anchor Steam Beer Video. Learn more about Anchor
Brewing at www.anchorbrewing.com and follow @anchorbrewing on social
media.