SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years • Hacker News Board

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#341

Post by bagacrap » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 4:39 AM UTC

HDThoreaun wrote: post #283

TillE wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mike's Hard Lemonade fills basically the same ecological niche that cider does in the UK, and does it really well because American-style lemonade is great. Canned cocktails are generally pretty bad, and hard seltzers are fine but does anyone really enjoy the flavor? I feel like they're just a convenient low-calorie way to get drunk.

> I feel like they're just a convenient low-calorie way to get drunk. Well yea, but for a lot of people that's what beer is too, and when given the choice between light beer and seltzer they prefer the seltzer. Canned cocktails like cutwater have gotten incredibly popular in the last year or so here. I suspect because they're 15% alcohol and the same size as a beer so many people can just drink one and be good for th…

I don't think beer could be called low calorie. There's probably no higher calorie way to get drunk.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#342

Post by tezka » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 7:24 AM UTC

bartread wrote: post #90

krustyburger wrote: post #21

It’s important to note that Anchor as a division is being shut down as a cost-saving measure by its owner Sapporo, a transnational, publicly-traded corporation. Sapporo says they have tried to find a buyer for Anchor, but to no avail. Meanwhile Sapporo recently purchased Stone Brewing in San Diego and are beginning Sapporo production there while still making Stone beers. If Sapporo hadn’t also bought Stone, presumabl…

I think that is an important point but, with that said, I'd suggest that perhaps the reason Anchor were struggling is they didn't really innovate. Rather they rested on the laurels of that 127 year heritage. Certainly a very personal opinion but the first time I tried Anchor beers sometime in the noughties I was underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong: they're certainly better than Bud, Coors, etc., but as a Brit coming fro…

> but as a Brit coming from somewhere with a by then thriving real ale scene,

Served at room temperature. Yikes.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#343

Post by quags » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 7:52 AM UTC

joshstrange wrote: post #196

crazygringo wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think stopping drinking was a response to exactly that -- it got out of control, then people quit. At least in NYC that's when we saw the first non-alcoholic "liquor" stores emerge. Because people still want a sophisticated treat to sip to mark the end of the day.

> it got out of control, then people quit Can confirm, that's how it went for me and at least a few friends who I've talked to about it. I went from rarely drinking to heavily drinking to now drinking even more rarely. I let it get way too out of control (mostly in frequency, nothing life-destroying or dangerous to anything/anyone but my body potentially) and even after admitting it was an issue it took a while befor…

Good for you on cutting down. Alcohol can slowly increase and turn into a drinking problem. Years ago I started having a beer after work and it turned into two over time then every day. Now I may grab a lower abv beer on the weekend but the entire situation could have turned easily into a long term drinking problem.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#344

Post by TheAdamist » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 9:40 AM UTC

munificent wrote: post #316

hyperbovine wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really despise this about the American beer industry. Your typical tap list these days is 8 IPAs, 1-2 dIPAs, 4 sours, something that contains coffee, some other weird shit (cucumber göse e.g.), and like one normal everyday lager or pilsener that isn't making some sort of personality statement and pairs well with food. Worse, this appears to be catching on among trendier bars in Europe, even in places like Munich an…

> Your typical tap list these days is 8 IPAs, 1-2 dIPAs, 4 sours, something that contains coffee, some other weird shit... Yup. I live close to a bunch of breweries in Seattle. The taplists of the two nearest are: Stoup: // IPAs: Mosaic Pale Ale Citra IPA Chur to Twelve IPA Rainbow Bubbles IPA Nothing Crazy IPA Simcoe Studies IPA Stoup Dog IPA Sir Dank A Lot IPA Space Garden IPA Paraderade IPA Easy A IPA // Everythin…

The modern ipa trend is not to have a lot of IBUs, i wouldnt be surprised if the 'everything else' beers were higher ibu. Particularly the porters.

The modern ipas will have a ton of hops added on the cold side of the brewing process which adds your aromatics and flavors, but not bitterness.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#345

Post by hooli_gan » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 12:07 PM UTC

munificent wrote: post #316

hyperbovine wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really despise this about the American beer industry. Your typical tap list these days is 8 IPAs, 1-2 dIPAs, 4 sours, something that contains coffee, some other weird shit (cucumber göse e.g.), and like one normal everyday lager or pilsener that isn't making some sort of personality statement and pairs well with food. Worse, this appears to be catching on among trendier bars in Europe, even in places like Munich an…

> Your typical tap list these days is 8 IPAs, 1-2 dIPAs, 4 sours, something that contains coffee, some other weird shit... Yup. I live close to a bunch of breweries in Seattle. The taplists of the two nearest are: Stoup: // IPAs: Mosaic Pale Ale Citra IPA Chur to Twelve IPA Rainbow Bubbles IPA Nothing Crazy IPA Simcoe Studies IPA Stoup Dog IPA Sir Dank A Lot IPA Space Garden IPA Paraderade IPA Easy A IPA // Everythin…

Pils, Weizen, Helles would else could one need?

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#346

Post by _xerces_ » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 1:19 PM UTC

tezka wrote: post #342

bartread wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that is an important point but, with that said, I'd suggest that perhaps the reason Anchor were struggling is they didn't really innovate. Rather they rested on the laurels of that 127 year heritage. Certainly a very personal opinion but the first time I tried Anchor beers sometime in the noughties I was underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong: they're certainly better than Bud, Coors, etc., but as a Brit coming fro…

> but as a Brit coming from somewhere with a by then thriving real ale scene, Served at room temperature. Yikes.

Served at cellar temperature, so around 55 F, sometimes cooler.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#347

Post by nunez » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

GenerWork wrote: post #247

nunez wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pandemic definitely triggered an uptick in "healthier" drinking options, specifically non-alcoholic beers (that are actually good now, hard kombucha and seltzers (that are usually just as alcoholic as beer but have fewer carbs so they are "healthy"). Athletic Brewing Company out of Stamford, CT has grown like gangbusters because of it (and because their beer is legitimately good). Even the big commercial brewerie…

Bud Light 0.0 was the only beer you could buy at the World Cup because Qatar has super strict alcohol laws.

Correct. But it's better than O'Doul's (ABInBev) or nothing!

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#348

Post by ibejoeb » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 3:29 PM UTC

mlyle wrote: post #329

xp84 wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh my gosh. Section 1 of that about tours. What a ridiculous ordinance. I assume all this is in there to protect some other class of business that lobbied for it, right? Like bars trying to prevent breweries from competing?

There's multiple kinds of liquor licenses. You can be a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol (retail consumption license). You can also be a brewpub (restricted brewery license), which comes with production limits and requires the above. You can be a brewery, which mostly makes and sells beer to retailers and distributors to consume elsewhere, but might have some tasting events (limited brewery license). New Jersey…

> more likely it's just an effort to regulate alcohol that doesn't take into account the changes in the craft beer scene in the last couple of decades.

This isn't a law. It's an order that was issued just 3 years ago.

A bill to undo it--which should not even be necessary given it's not legislation--was passed unanimously by both houses of the state legislature. The governor is sitting on it and hasn't commented.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#349

Post by mlyle » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 5:11 PM UTC

ibejoeb wrote: post #348

mlyle wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's multiple kinds of liquor licenses. You can be a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol (retail consumption license). You can also be a brewpub (restricted brewery license), which comes with production limits and requires the above. You can be a brewery, which mostly makes and sells beer to retailers and distributors to consume elsewhere, but might have some tasting events (limited brewery license). New Jersey…

> more likely it's just an effort to regulate alcohol that doesn't take into account the changes in the craft beer scene in the last couple of decades. This isn't a law. It's an order that was issued just 3 years ago. A bill to undo it--which should not even be necessary given it's not legislation--was passed unanimously by both houses of the state legislature. The governor is sitting on it and hasn't commented.

> > effort to regulate alcohol

> This isn't a law.

Yes, this was why the word "regulate" was used.

> which should not even be necessary given it's not legislation

Lawmakers empower regulators to make ordinary rules without specifying every detail in laws. Sometimes lawmakers don't like what regulators do, though, and choose to exercise more direct oversight.

Re: SF's Anchor Brewing Company shutting down after 127 years

#350

Post by bartread » Thu, Jul 13, 2023, 9:25 PM UTC

jamiek88 wrote: post #327

bartread wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I'd call normal anywhere between 3.5 - 5%, with session beers being anything A lot of these are just too much, and too weird (as I and many others have commented), for day to day drinking. Nowadays I mostly drink session beers because I normally have to worry about driving, getting up early, or functioning in some at least semi-useful way later in the day.

Jesus, that ‘speccy brew’ burning tyre taste. We got a couple cans once when properly skint and choked them down. Some of these 12% burned hops ipa’s taste like special brew to me.

> Jesus, that ‘speccy brew’ burning tyre taste.

Yeah, it's basically undrinkable. It was a bit of a staple at 6th form parties in the early 90s because it was cheap and strong, although I always struggled to get it down. I did buy a can many years later to try for a laugh as a fully fledged adult (is it really as bad as I remember, etc.?)... and couldn't finish it. Just awful.