If you like SF-based Anchor Beer (such as Anchor Steam), you may want to run, not walk, to your local Beer seller. (We got our 6pk already, so go ahead)
Anchor has announced they are stopping national distribution
I quit trying the Christmas Ale after it tasted like a pine tree back in the 90’s. When we visited the brewery on my Honeymoon the confirmed that that’s what they were shooting for that year.
Sounds like they’ve got other issues, might be because they’re in San Francisco
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Anchor Porter was the first true "craft" beer I started drinking back in the 1990's. At that time I could actually find it in the grocery store near my house, and it led me to love that beer style. And of course, Anchor Steam was always a great beer. And the first "hoppy" beer I grew to love was Anchor Liberty Ale - tame by today's standards.
I used to find 6 packs of Anchor in several grocery stores nearby, but have not seen any of their beer at the grocery stores in Huntsville in years, or I would have been buying it. There are a couple of liquor stores in town that likely carried it, along with 1500 other beers, but they aren't in places that are convenient to me.
Thankfully I have a "Steam" beer recipe from a now passed away brewer that I knew that spent a lot of time in the brewery at Anchor back in the day, and I'm planning to brew his version of a steam beer in a couple of weeks. It would be amazing if Anchor would publish their beer recipes before they shut down the website...
jtw I can post it in text form over in the Beverage discussion forum. I can also supply a Beersmith file via email if you want to PM me for that. The original recipe he gave me was for a 15 gallon batch, and I scaled it for my system, and have a 5.5 gallon (5 into the keg) and 11 gallon (2 kegs) version in Beersmith.
You will need to get the San Francisco Lager yeast (WLP810) if you want it to be authentic. I got a pack or two of that back in early May before it got to hot to ship yeast.
Beverage discussion would be great, thanks! i brew 5 gallon batches myself but with the ingredients and proportions i can make it work. my closest homebrew store just changed ownership and the new guys have no idea what they're doing. i used to be able to count on getting pretty much any White Labs/Wyeast/dry yeasts but that's no longer the case...
I of course love smoked meats of all kinds, but also like quick cooks like chicken portions, pork tenderloins, steak and fish. Really into cooking of all kinds.
My outdoor kitchen has a Lone Star Grillz Adjustable and it is wonderful. There also is a Pit Boss 5 Burner Ultimate Griddle and a Pit Boss Copperhead pellet grill.
There is an outdoor fire pit that has grilling capability and limited Santa Maria-style grill raising and lowering.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan - near Clare (dead center of lower peninsula).
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
One store nearby used to sell it (Anchor Steam Beer), I need to check there again. I always liked it, but if I were to be picky I thought it had a wee bit too much of a molasses flavor for my preference, but this was many years ago. I wonder what I'd think now if I can find it. Thanks for the notice.
There's no molasses in a steam beer for sure. It does have a more malt forward flavor profile than the typical American lager - a toasty and caramelly flavor if you will. All that comes from the malts though. It also has a higher bitterness, but not into IPA territory.
jfmorris, I remember (and this was maybe 20 yrs ago) tasting it beside a different beer, most likely Sam Adams at the time, and thinking it was molasses-y by comparison, but that likely was just the different malt from what you're describing. Sam Adams itself is mega-malty, but they're very different of course.
Damn... now that I live on the east coast, in October (MLB Giants) and for certain big 49ers games I traditionally snag a bottle of Anchor Steam for the game, and I've saved each years Christmas brew for the 9ers (thankfully nearly annual now) Playoff run in January
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan - near Clare (dead center of lower peninsula).
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Tragic, heartbreaking news. A colossal loss of a truly iconic brewery and brand. The very foundation of the craft brewing movement, setting the very style for several types of beer. Their influence on craft and home brewing cannot be overstated.
I will never forget my tour of their brewery in San Francisco years ago. I remember our group walking down a hallway past the doorway to "the hop room", and as I slowly ambled along and looked in, one of the crew was cutting open a big burlap-wrapped bale of hops with this great big ol knife. He just stabbed it into a corner and dragged in across to the opposite corner, pulled it open, and stuck his face in there and inhaled. He came up with that look of delight only a hophead can display, and our eyes met. He wiggled eyebrows and gestured me in, an invitation I eagerly accepted. Stepped in and man oh man, the best hop hit I ever had!
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