Anchor Introduces Anchor Porter

In 1972, Anchor Brewing in San Francisco first brewed Anchor Porter under owner and brewmaster Fritz Maytag. It was the brewery’s first new beer style after Maytag had spent several years improving the quality and consistency of Anchor Steam Beer. Rather than continuing Anchor’s earlier practice of darkening its steam beer with caramel coloring, Maytag developed an all-malt porter whose color and flavor came from roasted malt, including black patent malt. Anchor Porter helped return a traditional, full-flavored dark ale to an American market then dominated by pale industrial lagers. Its introduction demonstrated the emerging craft-brewing emphasis on distinct historical beer styles, traditional ingredients, and variety. Together with Anchor’s later Liberty Ale and Old Foghorn, the porter made the brewery an important bridge between older brewing traditions and the developing American craft beer movement.