Leslie Soule
After 127 years in business, San Francisco’s iconic Anchor Brewery will be closing its doors.
SFGate provides some insight on the situation, reporting that, “In a press release, Anchor Brewing spokesperson Sam Singer said that economic pressures made business “no longer sustainable,” and that employees were given their 60-day notice Wednesday. In June, Anchor Brewing limited distribution to California and axed one of its most popular beers. ‘The inflationary impact of product costs in San Francisco is one factor,’ Singer told SFGATE at the time. ‘Couple that with a highly competitive craft beer market and a historically costly steam brewing technique. [They’ve] probably been mulling over this decision for a year. It’s not something they take lightly.'”
Fox Business is reporting that, “The shuttering of the iconic brewery on Potrero Hill is another blow to San Francisco as the California city has seen an exodus of major businesses since pandemic shutdowns and amid recent crime spikes. Anchor said it has tried unsuccessfully for a year to find a buyer and hopes one might still come forward during the liquidation process. The company was founded in 1896 and has long marketed itself as America’s first craft brewery. It was purchased by Japanese brewery Sapporo Holdings Ltd. in 2017 and has since undergone significant changes.”
