As SF Beer Week comes to a conclusion, I find myself thinking back to the party hosted by Anchor Brewery last Wednesday night. I had the pleasure of attending this event in honor of Anchor's newest ale, Breckle's Brown, named after Gottlieb Breckle, the owner and brewmaster of Golden City Brewery, which later became Anchor Brewery.
Throughout the night, I was like a kid in a candy store. With a cheesy smile plastered on my face from ear-to-ear, I was able to celebrate this special brown ale with fellow beer bloggers and Anchor employees and guests. Although I didn't get to meet the guest of honor, Jane Cunningham, the great granddaughter of Gottlieb Breckle, I did get to meet many Anchor employees who had been with the brewery since Fritz Maytag purchased the brewery.
One of which was James Stitt, the man responsible for creating Anchor's famous beer labels. James met Fritz before the purchase of Anchor and spent his life creating beautiful hand-drawn (yes..I said hand drawn!) labels for Anchor. He reminisced about how Fritz got started brewing and as a new business owner, it was incredibly inspiring. To everyone's dismay, Fritz bought in John's words "a dump of a brewery" and spent the following year throwing out batch after batch of beer, tirelessly perfecting the beer we all came to know and love.
About Breckle's Brown Ale
A good beer will keep you satisfied while you drink it, a great beer will leave you thinking about it weeks after you drink it. A great beer isn't a one-hit wonder, its complexity keeps you guessing and wanting more. Anchor's Breckle's Brown Ale is a great beer. At six percent this beer is packed full of a custom blend of roasted malts, and citrusy hop flavors, and drinks almost like a smooth session beer. I could go on and on about this beer but I suggest you try it and tell me what you think.
Right now Breckle Brown Ale will be only available through draft but I'm sure there'll be bottling in the future. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for the select Bay Area pubs that'll start carrying this special ale. Until then, keep drinking craft beer and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something -- just do it!
