Brewery Sale - The Beer Thrillers

Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works Sold to California-Based Tower Investments

B. Kline — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:45:45 +0000

Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery in Middletown, PA

Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works Sold to California-Based Tower Investments: A New Chapter for Middletown’s Historic Brewery

The beloved Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works, a (former) staple of Middletown’s craft beer and spirits scene, has officially changed hands. California-based Tower Investments, operating locally as Middletown South Union Street, LLC, has purchased the historic property at 1 S. Union Street, according to Dauphin County deed records. This sale marks a significant moment for the community, as Tattered Flag was more than just a brewery; it was a gathering spot that held a special place in the hearts of local craft beer enthusiasts.

July 28th, 2023 Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery announced their closure. It was announced that it was for sale (and was actually up for sale before the announcement of its closure). (Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery For Sale.) After a while of being unable to sell the business, Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery Ended Up For Auction. They went on the auction block in May 2024.

According to Nik Sgagias of NAI CIR, Tower Investments is actively seeking tenants for the space, hinting at possible new beginnings for the 13,000-square-foot property. Tattered Flag, known for its veteran-owned roots and innovative brews, closed its doors on October 1, 2023, following a public auction in June. The auction had a starting bid of $275,000, highlighting the historic and commercial appeal of this full-service restaurant, brewery, and distillery space.

The story of Tattered Flag began in 2015 when military veteran Pat Devlin and friends from Susquenita High School took on the massive renovation of the former Elks building. They transformed the two-story structure, which previously held three storefronts and a meeting room, into a unique brewpub and distillery, blending community spirit with a passion for craft beer and cocktails.

Over the years, Tattered Flag expanded to various locations, including taprooms in Lancaster, Gettysburg, and Derry Township. Unfortunately, these expansions—coupled with challenges from the pandemic, inflation, and labor shortages—eventually led to financial strain, and the decision to close the business was made earlier this year. The original Middletown location, however, remained a cherished landmark for both locals and visitors.

While Tower Investments has yet to comment on future plans, the company’s focus on real estate development suggests the property will likely find new life soon. Tower is a family-owned company specializing in real estate investment and development, with experience transforming properties across the country.

As Middletown awaits the next chapter for this historic location, locals can look back fondly on the memories made at Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works, and many of us will be watching to see what the future holds for this beloved space in the heart of our community.

You can find out more about Tower Investments by checking out their website here: Tower Investments.
See our full historical review and look at Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery here – A Look at Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery.

Our Articles About Tattered Flag

Looking to read more about Tattered Flag, check out our articles here:

Tattered Flag Brewery Information

The following comes from Untappd about Tattered Flag Brewery – they are a micro brewery from Middletown, Pennsylvania, with 637 unique beers, and a global average rating of 3.78 (as of 5.22.24). They have 119,110 ratings. Their Untappd description is currently blank.

You can follow them on the following social media pages:

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Anderson Valley Brewing Company Listed for Sale at $7.9 Million

B. Kline — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:00:39 +0000

The Anderson Valley Brewing Company is listed for sale.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Listed for Sale at $7.9 Million

Anderson Valley Brewing Company, one of California’s iconic craft breweries, is officially on the market with an asking price of $7.9 million. The Boonville-based brewery, which has been producing beer since 1987, was listed for sale on BizQuest by Mainsheet Capital, the investment firm that acquired the business in 2019.

The sale includes Anderson Valley’s real estate, brewing equipment, and inventory. Spanning 29 acres in Mendocino County, the property is home to the world’s first 100% solar-powered brewery, thanks to its 126 kWh solar array. Anderson Valley boasts a gross annual revenue of $4.2 million, though cash flow and profitability details remain undisclosed.

This potential sale marks another chapter in Anderson Valley’s storied history. Founded by David Norfleet and Kim and Ken Allen nearly 40 years ago, the brewery was sold to Trey White and two partners in 2010, and then to Kevin McGee of Mainsheet Capital in 2019. McGee, a former attorney for Jackson Family Wines and founder of Healdsburg Brewing Company, had ambitious plans for Anderson Valley but now seeks to exit the industry, citing “owner retirement” as the reason for the sale.

Anderson Valley’s journey under McGee included a significant legal battle with the Reyes Beverage Group, the sixth-largest privately held company in the U.S. After McGee attempted to switch distributors in 2020, Reyes demanded millions in compensation for the “fair market value” of the distribution rights. When McGee refused, Reyes filed a lawsuit. In a key ruling earlier this year, the court sided with Anderson Valley, dismissing Reyes’ claims as unreasonable.

Despite this legal victory, McGee has chosen to step away from the craft brewing business. With a strong brand, solar-powered facility, and over three decades of brewing heritage, Anderson Valley could be an enticing opportunity for potential buyers.

More Information on Anderson Valley Brewing

The following comes via Untappd. Anderson Valley Brewing is a regional brewery out of Boonville, California. They have 92 unique beers and over 1.3 million ratings, with a global average rating of 3.66 (as of 9.13.24). Their Untappd description reads: “Founded in 1987, Anderson Valley Brewing Company brews hand-crafted, authentic beers with balance, complexity, and an unwavering commitment to sustainably producing world-class beer at its 30 acre Beer Park in Boonville, CA. As the World’s First Solar Powered Brewery, AVBC leads the craft beer industry as pioneers in responsible brewing and innovators in environmental sustainability practices. Anderson Valley Brewing Company beer is available in 40 states and at its taproom in Boonville, California. Learn more at AVBC.com. ”

You can follow them at these social media platforms:

Anderson Valley Brewing – Official Website
Anderson Valley Brewing – Facebook
Anderson Valley Brewing – Instagram
Anderson Valley Brewing – Twitter
Anderson Valley Brewing – Untappd

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Sign of the Horse Brewery Bought Stony Run Brew House

B. Kline — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 18:30:24 +0000

Sign of the Horse Brewery

Sign of the Horse Brewery Bought Stony Run Brew House

As we posted previously – Stony Run Brew House Selling to a Local Brewery – Stony Run Brew House in York County PA has sold their operations to a local brewery (local to York, PA). Well, we have now found out who that buyer is and its Sign of the Horse Brewery. Stony Run Brew House made the announcement on the 23rd that they had sold their operations, and stating that they didn’t want to steal the thunder from the brewery who bought them, allowing the new owners to reveal themselves when ready. And today was that day as Sign of the Horse Brewery made the announcement via their social media platforms.

The Announcement

Sign of the Horse Brewery’s Announcement

Sign of the Horse Brewery made the following announcement via their social media platforms:

We are excited to announce we are coming to York! Introducing Sign of the Horse Brewery Barrel House. We will be taking over operations at what used to be Stony Run Brew House on E. Market St. We wish Tim all the best in his retirement. They already have a tremendous staff that will be staying on and helping us transition into our new location. We hope to be opening our doors mid-September!! We can’t help but thank all our staff and customers at our Sign of the Horse Restaurant and Brewery – Red Lion, Sign of the Horse Brewery- Hanover, and Double Barrel Roadhouse locations for their support to make this possible.

– Sign of the Horse Brewery – Facebook Post

Sign of the Horse Brewery – Barrel House

The new Sign of the Horse Brewery – Barrel House will be located at the same location as the (previously named) Stony Run Brew House, which can be located at: 3605 E Market St, York, PA 17402. A mid-September opening is just a little under two months away. This bolsters an already impressive roster of Sign of the Horse Brewery locations.

Stony Run Brew House Selling

You can read Stony Run Brew House’s original announcement of their selling here:

Stony Run Family!

We have some important news!

We are currently finalizing details for the sale and transition of the business to another local brewery! (to be named later… don’t want to steal their thunder) Having said that, Stony Run Brew House will cease operation Sunday July 28th. This will allow for the new management to renovate and prepare for reopening sometime in the near future! We appreciate each and every one of our loyal customers and friends! Thank you for the opportunity of serving you over the years! Please come in and support our awesome staff this week, they will be transitioning with the new owner. God bless you all!

Gift cards need to be redeemed by the 28th. Thank you.

– Stony Run Brew House – Facebook Post

More Information on Stony Run Brew House

The following comes via Untappd.

Stony Run Brew House is a brewpub located in York, PA. They have 92 unique beers and over 12,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.78 (as of 7.23.24). Their Untappd description reads: “Stony Run Brew House is dedicated to providing the finest handcrafted beer and wine produced in-house and locally along with inventive pub-style food. ”

You can find them at these social media platforms:

Brewery News

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The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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Stony Run Brew House Selling To a Local Brewery

B. Kline — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:00:23 +0000

Stony Run Brew House Selling To a Local Brewery

Stony Run Brew House

Stony Run Brew House is selling their brewery and business to a local brewery. No word yet on what brewery has purchased or bought them; just word that it is a “local brewery”.

Stony Run Brew House made the announcement today that they were selling their brewery and business, located at 3605 E Market St, York, PA 17402.

We previously posted word about a York area brewery trying to sell their shares, no word on if this is them. (Most likely based on size and volume it is not.) (See: Rumors and Round-Ups: Rumor Mill – 5.23.24)

Announcement

Stony Run Brew House posted this to their Facebook page earlier:

Stony Run Family!

We have some important news!

We are currently finalizing details for the sale and transition of the business to another local brewery! (to be named later… don’t want to steal their thunder) Having said that, Stony Run Brew House will cease operation Sunday July 28th. This will allow for the new management to renovate and prepare for reopening sometime in the near future! We appreciate each and every one of our loyal customers and friends! Thank you for the opportunity of serving you over the years! Please come in and support our awesome staff this week, they will be transitioning with the new owner. God bless you all!

Gift cards need to be redeemed by the 28th. Thank you.

Stony Run Brew House – Facebook Post

When we have more information we will keep everyone updated. The 27th of July will be their last day of current ownership and operations – so we should know more soon after that.

More Information on Stony Run Brew House

The following comes via Untappd.

You can find them at these social media platforms:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

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Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

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Rumors and Round-Ups (Rumor Mill 5.23.24)

B. Kline — Thu, 23 May 2024 16:45:55 +0000

An anonymous post made in the Breweries in Planning group.

Rumors and Round-Ups (Rumor Mill 5.23.24)

We’re back with another (smaller) rumor mill. This time localized to a singular thing, rather than a more full listing of rumors and round-ups.

(See the previous Rumors and Round-Ups from January 2024.)

Occasionally, we get some information, snippets and things that I feel might be worth posting about, but not sure if they could be a full article on their own, and as I do research and look into things, I don’t have a lot more to go on other than insider business talk.

So this will be an infrequent series I suppose here at the blog, of just “rumors” “possible news” and things that might never come to fruition, might never blossom, etc. Things will be kept track of though.

5.23.24

As you can see with the photo attached to this article, an Anonymous Post was made to the Facebook group “Brewery in Planning” which is an international Facebook group designed for brewers, owners, and other brewery staff that are currently in operation or soon to be operation, or for people looking to possibly open their own brewery and wanting to get some feedback, advice, or just answers to their questions.

The post reads:

Posting for a member who wishes to remain anonymous

We are majority owners of a 7bbl production brewery and restaurant located in York County PA with gross sales of 1.2 million dollars for 2023. Life circumstances have necessitated we relocate and we are seeking to sell our shares by the end of the summer. If you were to purchase our shares, it would come with running the business on a daily basis. Please contact the admin for this page if you are interested in learning more information

Currently, the following is a list of breweries in York County, PA:

Aldus Brewing
AleCraft Brewery
Aviator Brewing
Big Bottom Brewery
Black Cap Brewing
Buon Appetito Ristorante
Collusion Tap Works
Fat Bat Brewing
Gift Horse Brewing
Gunpowder Falls Brewing
Hell in a Bucket Brewery
Lydian Stone Brewing
Mexitaly
Mudhook Brewing
Scrubby’s Craft Brewery
Sign of the Horse Brewing
Something Wicked Brewing
South County Brewing
Staggered Leg Brewery
Stony Run Brewhouse
Vortex Brewing
Warehouse Gourmet Bistro & Brew Pub
Winding Path Brewing

Going back up to the post, the interesting statistics to look at are:

7 BBL System
Production Brewery
1.2 Million Dollars in Gross Sales

The other interesting note is that they are looking to sell their shares so that they can relocate. So they are looking to sell, not close, and the owner(s) are looking to relocate or are already relocating elsewhere. The post doesn’t say if they will be opening a new brewery at their new location (my assumption is that they won’t be since they are selling shares and full production brewery).

We will keep you updated as we get more information. In the meantime, its interesting to speculate on which brewery of those 23 it might be.

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

Hysteria Brewing Is Currently Up For Sale

B. Kline — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 23:30:29 +0000

Hysteria Brewery Taproom

Hysteria Brewery’s For Sale

Are you in the market for a new brewery? Because Hysteria Brewing Company is currently up for sale. Currently listed on TransWorld: Hysteria Brewing Company for Sale. Currently the asking price is $699,000 with a down payment of $200,000.

Hysteria Brewing Company’s Columbia Taproom is located at 9570 Berger Rd Suite J, Columbia, MD 21046. You can visit Hysteria Brewing Company at their website here: Hysteria Brewing Company Official Website.

April of last year – the Smoketown Creekside location in Frederick, MD was put up for sale: Smoketown Brewing (Creekside) Selling Operations. This location is now RAK Brewing.

Full Listing

You can read the full listing here:

Into Home Brewery? Always wanted to own your own bar? Want to be a business owner? This is the business for you!

Hysteria Brewing Company

This brewery and bar is located in Columbia / Howard County, Maryland.
9570 Berger Road
Columbia, MD 21046

This is an asset sale and the price is less than it would be to start up your own!

Motivated sellers with a portion of seller financing available for the right buyer.

Listing Details

- Price: $ 699,000
- Down Payment: $200,000
- Sellers Discretionary Earnings: $ 0
- Total Sales: $ 0
- Location: Howard County, Maryland

Inventory: $ 0
FF&E: $ 0
Employees:
Reason for Selling: Other Business Opportunities
Category: Liquor Related Biz

TransWorld – Business Advisors: Hysteria Brewing Company Sale

Maryland Beer Drinkers Group

Always a group to tell you as it is – the Maryland Beer Drinkers Facebook Group had a lot of interesting discussion about the sale. You can read the comments, questions, and thought provoking “gossip” here: Maryland Beer Drinkers Club (Hysteria Brewing Company – Cole’s Post). The 100+ comments gives a pretty detailed discussion on why Hysteria Brewing is currently selling.

As more information comes up, like a potential buyer (or when / if it sells), we will post it here. So stay tuned.

Hysteria Brewing Company

Other articles involving Hysteria Brewing Company:

Brewfest for MS

For more information on Hysteria Brewing Company. The following comes via Untappd.

Hysteria Brewing Company is a micro brewery from Columbia, MD. They have 364 unique beers and over 80,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.78 (as of 2.16.24). Their Untappd description reads: “Established 2017 in Columbia, Maryland. Insanely full flavored beer. Incredibly drunk, yet professional, but still pretty drunk, dedicated people making said full flavored beer. #EffYeah ”

You can find them on the following social media pages:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

Anchor Brewing Company Ceasing Operations and Liquidating Business

B. Kline — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:02:00 +0000

Exterior of the Anchor Brewery

Anchor Brewing to Cease Operations, Liquidate Business

As we discussed yesterday – Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold Tomorrow – Anchor Brewing Company had their morning meeting today, and for one of the oldest craft breweries in America – the answers are in.

Sadly, this is the answer: “Anchor Brewing, the nation’s oldest craft brewery, will cease operations and the business will be liquidated, the company’s public relations firm announced today.”

Not the answer many (most, or all) were all looking for.

A month ago Anchor Brewing Company announced they were stopping national distribution and canceling their production of Christmas Ale.

The San Francisco craft brewery, which was acquired for $85 million by Sapporo in August 2017, cited “a combination of challenging economic factors and declining sales since 2016.” Ultimately, the company said the economic pressure “made the business no longer sustainable.”
Anchor Brewing to Cease Operations, Liquidate Business – BrewBound

Yesterday as we noted here on The Beer Thrillers, there was going to be a meeting and discussion of the future of Anchor Brewing Company this morning. VinePair’s reporter (David Infante) was under the impression that the brewery would be sold – with possible candidates being Russian River Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing, and Drake’s Brewing Company.

Unfortunately, it appears the route of ceasing operations was chosen.

Workers at Anchor were given 60 day’s notice today “with intent to provide transition support and separation packages in line with company practices and policies,” according to a press release.

Production has ceased at the brewery, but packaging and distribution of remaining beer on hand will continue through the end of July. Anchor’s Public Taps taproom will temporarily remain open to sell through remaining inventory, including a small batch of 2023 Anchor Christmas Ale that was brewed prior to the decision to cancel the ale’s national release.
Anchor Brewing to Cease Operations, Liquidate Business – BrewBound

In the press release junket, Anchor Brewing spokesperson Sam Singer stated that several proposed and attempted sales and buy – outs fell through over the last year. Saying: “Repeated efforts” for the attempt at sales.

Sam Singer was previously quoted to say:

The inflationary impact of product costs in San Francisco is one factor, 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.
Sam Singer, Anchor Brewing Company spokesperson

In the press release junket, Sam Singer reiterated the above, and also stated:

This was an extremely difficult decision that Anchor reached only after many months of careful evaluation. We recognize the importance and historic significance of Anchor to San Francisco and to the craft brewing industry, but the impacts of the pandemic, inflation, especially in San Francisco, and a highly competitive market left the company with no option but to make this sad decision to cease operations.
Sam Singer, statement, as spokesperson of the Anchor Brewing Company

A Buyer

A buyer could still emerge to buy the brewery while in the liquidation phase. Though, the company is entering a process in which an assignee will liquidate the business’ assets to pay off creditors as part of a California Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, which is an alternative to filing Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy.

Possible buyers could still emerge, but the odds seem dwindling, especially giving the liquidation process.

The Wednesday press release stated that the company plans to provide transition support and separation packages to outgoing employees, and that the Anchor Public Taps taproom on De Haro Street will remain open temporarily to sell remaining inventory. Brewing has ceased, but the brewery says it will continue to package and distribute beer on hand through the end of July.

Anchor Brewing also said Wednesday that attempts over the past year to find a buyer were unsuccessful, but one could emerge during the liquidation process.
San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company says it’s ceasing operations – SF Gate

Sapporo USA

Anchor Brewing Company whilst owned by Sapporo USA has definitely been changed, there is no doubt about that. Many employees have attested to that online and in various website forums, social media pages, and blogs and podcasts.

Last month they announced they were pulling back on national distribution and stopping production of beloved and cherished Christmas Ale.

Production under Sapporo’s leadership declined in every other year with the exception of 2021, when volume increased +45%, to 72,500 barrels, its highest point since the 89,612 barrels produced in 2018, according to the Brewers Association’s New Brewer Magazine.

In 2022, Anchor’s volume declined -10% in 2022, to 65,000 barrels..

Brewbound previously reported that Anchor employees were uncertain about their fate since parent company Sapporo reached a deal to acquire Stone Brewing in June 2022, citing a “lack of transparency” in Sapporo’s plans with Stone and how it affects Anchor.”

Union negotiations were delayed at Anchor earlier this year, although a second contract has been ratified.
Anchor Brewing to Cease Operations, Liquidate Business – BrewBound

Anchor Brewing Company

For more information, view our articles here:

A History of Anchor Brewing Company

Anchor Brewing’s Brewhouse

A brief history on Anchor Brewing Company:

Anchor began during the California Gold Rush when Gottlieb Brekle arrived from Germany and began brewing in San Francisco. In 1896, Ernst F. Baruth and his son-in-law, Otto Schinkel, Jr., bought an old brewery at 1431 Pacific Avenue and named it Anchor Brewery. The brewery burned down in the fires that followed the 1906 earthquake, but was rebuilt at a different location in 1907.^[7] There is no record of what Anchor did during Prohibition, but it resumed serving Steam Beer after Repeal, possibly as the only steam brewing company still in operation.^[8] However the brewery burned down yet again within the year, and it relocated once more, this time to a building a few blocks away.

The brewery continued operations into the late 1950s, but suffered heavily from the country’s increasingly strong preference for the light lagers produced by the megabreweries.^[9] Whereas there had been more than 4,000 breweries at the turn of the twentieth century, only 70 remained by the 1960s.^[10]

Anchor shut its doors briefly in 1959, but was bought and reopened the following year.^[11] By 1965, however, it was doing so poorly that it nearly closed again. Anchor’s situation continued to deteriorate largely because the current owners lacked the expertise, equipment, and attention to cleanliness that were required to produce consistent batches of beer for commercial consumption. The brewery gained a reputation for producing sour, bad beer.^[12]

In 1965, Frederick Louis “Fritz” Maytag III bought the brewery, saving it from closure.^[13] He purchased 51 percent of the brewery for several thousand dollars, and later purchased the brewery outright.^[14] It moved to its current location near Potrero Hill in 1979.

……

In 1993, the company opened Anchor Distillery, a microdistillery in the same location as the brewery, and began making a single malt rye whiskey, named Old Potrero after the hill. In 1997, the microdistillery began producing gin, called Junípero—Spanish for juniper, and a reference to Fr. Junípero Serra, an important figure in San Francisco’s and California’s history. Recently they have also begun producing a Jenever style gin called Genevieve, using wheat, barley, rye, and the same herbal ingredients as their Junípero gin.

In 2010, Maytag sold the company to former Skyy vodka executives Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, from Novato, California, who planned to expand Anchor’s business while keeping its commitment to artisan brewing.^[10] In 2013, the brewery launched Anchor California Lager, a re-creation of a historic Boca Brewing lager from the 1870s.^[25] The brewery also announced a major expansion plan at Pier 48 in the Mission Rock neighborhood near Oracle Park,^[26] which would expand Anchor’s maximum annual production capacity from 180,000 barrels to 680,000 barrels.^[26]

In 2014, Anchor officially announced Anchor IPA,^[27] the first India Pale Ale in the brewery’s history.^[1] Anchor ended production of its winter seasonal Bock in 2014^[28] and replaced it a year later with Anchor Winter Wheat.^[29]

In 2017, Anchor was purchased by Sapporo.^[30]

In 2019, Anchor Brewing workers voted by an almost 2-to-1 margin to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, making Anchor Brewing – including Anchor Public Taps, the brewery’s on-site brew pub – the first unionized craft brewery in the United States.^[31]

In 2021, Anchor Brewing announced a major makeover of their logo and beer labels. On the eve of their 125th birthday, the brewery replaced their vintage-looking labels with a large Anchor logo in a two-tone color schemes per beer. Most labels were not changed in decades or at all. The beer itself remained unchanged.
Anchor Brewing Company – History (Wikipedia)

The iconic logo for Anchor Brewing Company’s Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam Beer in particular has survived fires, earthquakes, deaths of multiple owners, years of Prohibition, and threats of bankruptcy. Yet each and every time, this amber beer rose from the ashes.

Over 150 years, Anchor Brewing Company has evolved into a legendary brewery making many iconic beers.

But more so than any other, Anchor Steam Beer endured. This is the liquid gold that kept the pulse of this San Francisco brewery alive from the very beginning.
Surviving Earthquakes, Fire, Prohibition, and Near Bankruptcy: Anchor Brewing Has Run on ‘Steam’ for More than 125 Years – Hop Culture

For More Info on Anchor Brewing Company

The following comes from Untappd. Anchor Brewing Company is a Subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries, and is considered a macro brewery from San Francisco California. They have 341 unique beers and over 1.3 million ratings, with a global average rating of 3.52 (as of 7.12.23). Their Untappd description reads: Brewing hand-crafted beer in the heart of San Francisco since 1896.

You can follow them on these social media platforms:

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

-B. Kline

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You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold Tomorrow

B. Kline — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:44:00 +0000

Anchor Brewing Company Could Be Sold – As Soon as Tomorrow

We will likely hear an announcement tomorrow morning, possibly as early as 10 AM EST, on the fate of Anchor Brewing Company. One of the oldest breweries in America. (Yuengling Brewing holds the distinction of being the oldest ‘continuously operating’ craft brewery.)

Tomorrow morning, employees of Anchor Brewing Co. will gather at the historic San Francisco firm’s plant on Potrero Hill for an all-hands meeting with leaders from its parent company, Sapporo USA. There, VinePair has learned, they may be told that the 127 year-old company is being acquired by another Northern California craft brewery.

Representatives for Anchor, considered by many the pioneer of the American craft brewing movement, and Sapporo USA, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate that bought the iconic brewery in 2017, declined multiple requests for comment about this situation. Three current employees have confirmed that there’s a full-team meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. local time. Normally, that wouldn’t warrant a story. But there’s nothing normal about what’s been going on at Anchor lately.
Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold As Soon as Tomorrow – VinePair

As we stated previously here on the blog, Anchor Brewing Company on June 11th, exactly a month ago, announced that they would cease distributing nationally. They also announced that they were stopping production of their legacy, and historic beer – Christmas Ale.

(Anchor Brewing Will No Longer Be Sold Nationally)

The last few years at Anchor Brewing Company has been tumultuous to say the least. In 2021 they underwent a rebranding that failed and fizzled out, leaving many of their workers disgruntled, annoyed, and some laid off.

Sapporo USA has been “picking fights” with the worker unions and causing issues as well. And of course, the announcement that Anchor Brewing Will No Longer Be Sold Nationally last month has done nothing to help things as well.

Roughly around the time of the announcement, Sapporo USA also removed and gutted much of their sales team, further leading many to see the writing on the wall and the brewery’s soon sale, demise, or closure coming.

Last week, the company had a mere 600 barrels of Anchor Steam scheduled to be brewed over the entire month of August, a tiny quantity that another current worker, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the company, described as “absurd.”

Workers are in the dark, their livelihoods hanging in the balance. One worker tells VinePair that Sapporo USA execs had been spotted inventorying the plant’s equipment, a worrying development. But: “They haven’t mentioned shit to us” about job security, another current employee says. “Upstairs,” shorthand for Anchor’s white-collar offices above the brewhouse, has become “a ghost town.” A gradual exodus has pared the close-knit workforce from around 85 people to just 30 or 40.
Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold As Soon as Tomorrow – VinePair

Tomorrow Morning’s Meeting

Tomorrow morning’s meeting will explain the future for Anchor Brewing Company; for the public at large, and its employees. Many of who say they are completely in the dark still about what is going on with their own jobs, employment, working environment, etc.

Talk has centered around sale of the company. There has also been talk of what Sapporo USA plans on doing with the brand, and iconic beers as well. Beers such as the Anchor Steam Beer, or the Liberty Ale (IPA); talk of moving production of key beers to the newly acquired (by Sapporo USA) Stone Brewing Company in San Diego is also a possibility.

Tomorrow should offer some answers. And they may not be all bad. A source close to the proceedings who is not authorized to speak publicly about it tells VinePair that rather than Anchor’s demise, tomorrow will be “a good day for [its] future.” At the 9 a.m. meeting, “Anchor is going to announce that it is being sold to another well-known craft brewer from Northern California.”
Anchor Brewing Could Be Sold As Soon as Tomorrow – VinePair

VinePair seems to think the leading candidates to possibly buy Anchor Brewing Company are Russian River Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing, and Drake’s Brewing Company. VinePair stated that none of the breweries have responded to comments by them however. As understandably, any breweries interested in the purchasing would be keeping things close to the vest at a time like this.

Acquisitions and mergings have been quite the rage in the brewing industry lately. With several happening – including the started and failed merge of Cape May Brewing and Flying Fish Brewery; the acquisition of Flying Dog Brewery by F.X. Matt Brewing Company (Saranac Brewing), and the acquisition of DuClaw Brewing Company by River Horse Brewing.

Tomorrow’s meeting will define the future for Anchor Brewing Company no matter what. So please stay tuned here to the blog for more details then.

A brief history on Anchor Brewing Company

A brief history on Anchor Brewing Company:

Anchor began during the California Gold Rush when Gottlieb Brekle arrived from Germany and began brewing in San Francisco. In 1896, Ernst F. Baruth and his son-in-law, Otto Schinkel, Jr., bought an old brewery at 1431 Pacific Avenue and named it Anchor Brewery. The brewery burned down in the fires that followed the 1906 earthquake, but was rebuilt at a different location in 1907.^[7] There is no record of what Anchor did during Prohibition, but it resumed serving Steam Beer after Repeal, possibly as the only steam brewing company still in operation.^[8] However the brewery burned down yet again within the year, and it relocated once more, this time to a building a few blocks away.

The brewery continued operations into the late 1950s, but suffered heavily from the country’s increasingly strong preference for the light lagers produced by the megabreweries.^[9] Whereas there had been more than 4,000 breweries at the turn of the twentieth century, only 70 remained by the 1960s.^[10]

Anchor shut its doors briefly in 1959, but was bought and reopened the following year.^[11] By 1965, however, it was doing so poorly that it nearly closed again. Anchor’s situation continued to deteriorate largely because the current owners lacked the expertise, equipment, and attention to cleanliness that were required to produce consistent batches of beer for commercial consumption. The brewery gained a reputation for producing sour, bad beer.^[12]

In 1965, Frederick Louis “Fritz” Maytag III bought the brewery, saving it from closure.^[13] He purchased 51 percent of the brewery for several thousand dollars, and later purchased the brewery outright.^[14] It moved to its current location near Potrero Hill in 1979.

……

In 1993, the company opened Anchor Distillery, a microdistillery in the same location as the brewery, and began making a single malt rye whiskey, named Old Potrero after the hill. In 1997, the microdistillery began producing gin, called Junípero—Spanish for juniper, and a reference to Fr. Junípero Serra, an important figure in San Francisco’s and California’s history. Recently they have also begun producing a Jenever style gin called Genevieve, using wheat, barley, rye, and the same herbal ingredients as their Junípero gin.

In 2010, Maytag sold the company to former Skyy vodka executives Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, from Novato, California, who planned to expand Anchor’s business while keeping its commitment to artisan brewing.^[10] In 2013, the brewery launched Anchor California Lager, a re-creation of a historic Boca Brewing lager from the 1870s.^[25] The brewery also announced a major expansion plan at Pier 48 in the Mission Rock neighborhood near Oracle Park,^[26] which would expand Anchor’s maximum annual production capacity from 180,000 barrels to 680,000 barrels.^[26]

In 2014, Anchor officially announced Anchor IPA,^[27] the first India Pale Ale in the brewery’s history.^[1] Anchor ended production of its winter seasonal Bock in 2014^[28] and replaced it a year later with Anchor Winter Wheat.^[29]

In 2017, Anchor was purchased by Sapporo.^[30]

In 2019, Anchor Brewing workers voted by an almost 2-to-1 margin to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, making Anchor Brewing – including Anchor Public Taps, the brewery’s on-site brew pub – the first unionized craft brewery in the United States.^[31]

In 2021, Anchor Brewing announced a major makeover of their logo and beer labels. On the eve of their 125th birthday, the brewery replaced their vintage-looking labels with a large Anchor logo in a two-tone color schemes per beer. Most labels were not changed in decades or at all. The beer itself remained unchanged.
Anchor Brewing Company – History (Wikipedia)

Brewery News

Interested in finding out about many other brewery openings, new locations, closings, movings, and in general brewery news? You can check out our links below:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

-B. Kline

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

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Anchor Brewing Company Could Be Sold – As Soon as Tomorrow

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