Anchor Brewing Company changes hands:

Fritz Maytag, the washing machine heir who launched the microbrewery movement, has sold Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco to a pair of Bay Area entrepreneurs who plan to preserve and expand the iconic brand.

[…]

In 45 years at the helm of Anchor Brewing, Maytag helped spark a revival in the craft of making beer by hand and inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to follow him in creating small, artisanal breweries.

Keith Greggor, 55, and Tony Foglio, 64, two veterans of the spirits industry, say they plan to expand Anchor Brewing’s operations and cement its position as a font of artisanal beers and spirits.

“This is something we want to build on for the rest of our careers and pass on to the next generation,” said Foglio, who will serve as chairman while Greggor runs the operation.

“Combining Keith and Tony’s passion for the Anchor Brewing Co., their industry experience and expertise only means that Anchor will be enjoyed in San Francisco for generations to come,” Maytag, who will serve as chairman emeritus, said in a statement.

Didn’t realize that Maytag was into his seventies. This is a man that, when faced with news that his favorite brewery was about to close, bought it. And, in the course of reinvigorating Anchor’s fortunes, more or less inadvertently set off what became the rebirth of quality brewing in America. Single-handedly saved an entire style (their iconic California Common, or “Steam” beer) from commercial extinction, and went on to essentially create what became known as American Pale Ale (along with Sierra Nevada in Chico, CA) through a beer called Liberty Ale, originally brewed to commemorate Paul Revere’s ride. Along the way, Anchor also carved out a new commercial niche for American style porters (really: robust porter) and stouts, and, most notably to Lemkin, Anchor also produces one of the finest American Style barleywines you will ever, ever encounter: Old Foghorn. Oh, and Anchor happens to be behind a fine winter warmer, typically spiced, whose recipe changes each year.

And it’s through the story of one year’s version of that particular winter warmer (its official name being Anchor Merry Christmas) that you can really get a sense of the whole Anchor story in microcosm by watching Michael Jackson’s Beer Hunter series (the opening scenes of the relevant episode are available here). In the full episode, you can watch as Maytag takes the brewery staff (and Jackson) on an annual pilgrimage to the fields, such that they can follow their beer from harvest through production.

I realize this post is reading like an obituary…but, at least so far, it isn’t.
Anchor is a national treasure. Hopefully these guys realize that. They make the right noises, anyway. Time will tell. Until then: to Fritz Maytag! Your brewery (and this fan) salutes you.