Beer in San Francisco
Beer history, breweries and beer culture in San Francisco (USA).
In 1965 Fritz Maytag saved the Anchor Brewery and its “steam beer”, a warm-fermented beer made with lager yeast, known as California common. The brewery closed in 2023; in 2024 the entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya bought it to reopen it.
Breweries in San Francisco
Anchor
Preserved “steam beer” and, under Fritz Maytag from 1965, became the model for craft brewers.
Known for: Anchor Steam Beer, Liberty Ale
Beer history of San Francisco
- 1896
The Anchor Brewery gets its name. It preserves “steam beer”, fermented warm with lager yeast.
- 1965
Fritz Maytag saves the Anchor Brewery – a role model for the craft brewers who follow.