Anchor Steam to end national distribution EDIT- Anchor now closing, pg.3

June 12, 2023, 02:11 PM

chellim1

quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
The mega brewers buy these small brewers in part to remove them, not only as direct competitors, but to remove them totally from the market.

That's true, unfortunately.
But it's also true that some brands aren't removed and gain wider distribution.
A-B Inbev has bought Golden Road which, so far, is going pretty well.

"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."
-- Justice Janice Rogers Brown

"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth."
-rduckwor

June 12, 2023, 02:12 PM

dsiets

Back in the 90's when I started homebrewing I drank a lot of Anchor's beers (Steam, Christmas, Porter) for the bottles (it was good beer too) as they were shaped differently from most others but re-capped just the same for homebrew.
Anchor Brew. Co. history was featured in at least a few of my brewing/beer books and the beer was easy find here in MI.

But, stores can only hold so many brands which is primarily the realm of the distributors.

"Cheers" to Fritz Maytag.

June 12, 2023, 03:14 PM

Ogie

Here in Indiana I used to drink Anchor Steam many years ago then all of a sudden, it disappeared.

June 12, 2023, 03:50 PM

Loswsmith

quote:
Originally posted by corsair:
One of my favorite beers, while I'm local, others around the country may end up scrambling to get their cases or, end up calling The Bandit & Iceman.

Unless he's taking over for Maverick as Ice's wingman, the Bandit ran with the Snowman.

And I would watch Smokey and the Bandit any day and maybe even twice on Sunday's (in fact, I'm pretty sure I have).

Sucks about Anchor Steam, but I'm pretty sure here in the PWN we'll weather the loss just fine.

June 12, 2023, 04:05 PM

corsair

quote:
Originally posted by Loswsmith:
quote:
Originally posted by corsair:
One of my favorite beers, while I'm local, others around the country may end up scrambling to get their cases or, end up calling The Bandit & Iceman.

Unless he's taking over for Maverick as Ice's wingman, the Bandit ran with the Snowman.

Thank for the correction

June 12, 2023, 04:21 PM

snwghst

definitely a loss. One of the true originators of the resurgence of good beer in the US and bringing wild fermentation to the main stream

the Christmas Ale was always amazing

June 12, 2023, 04:52 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by chellim1:
quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
The mega brewers buy these small brewers in part to remove them, not only as direct competitors, but to remove them totally from the market.

That's true, unfortunately.
But it's also true that some brands aren't removed and gain wider distribution.
A-B Inbev has bought Golden Road which, so far, is going pretty well.

A-B bought a local brewer called Karbach in Houston. Some of Karbach's brews are still around, but there is a persistent rumor that one of Karbach's old recipes (called "Love Street" which was/is a Kolsch) is now just Budweiser. I don't think it is really true, but I also don't think it is the same beer brewed by old Karbach.

It is all free market capitalism, so I'd never suggest they can't do this, but I am not buying any Karbach beer, either. This often isn't a sacrifice because the beer almost always suffers under a corporate overlord.

June 12, 2023, 07:05 PM

clang

Anchor Liberty Ale was a favorite but I haven’t seen it in decades. It was like a Ballantine but better if you know what I mean.

I miss Ballantine too BTW…

Anyone remember Pete’s Wicked Ale? Another early craft beer the went extinct.

June 12, 2023, 07:15 PM

Anush

quote:
The beer industry in America is generally going to hell with the multinationals buying up anything that tastes good (to my palate anyway) and then killing the brand (Bass Ale), changing the recipe (Newcastle), or substituting some named-alike swill for a decent beer (Negra Modelo -> Modelo Especial). Whether they are trying to adapt to changing consumer preferences, or trying to influence them, I don't like it! Just try to find a nice malty English-style ale in a brewpub these days, good luck. Even porters and stouts seem to be getting harder and harder to find, not to mention the higher-end German lagers (e.g. Augustiner-Brau, Hofbrau, Spaten) being replaced on taps, and in stores by a plethora of no-taste "light" beers, nasty-tasting gimmick beers, and fruity alcohol waters. Didn't we shame Zima out of existence back in the day? Now they are foisting dozens of like products on us.

The micro breweries appear to be adapting to this trend by mimicking the "major" brands, dropping interesting brews and focusing on over-hopped IPAs or gimmick beers with flavorings from non-traditional sources (coffee, peanut butter, pumpkin, etc.) Maybe they are hoping to get acquired? Sorry guys, unless you have a brand that a major wants to kill, you're probably out of luck in that regard. There are still micros making interesting brews (Alewerks Tavern Ale, Bell's Best Brown), but I am very concerned that they too will succumb to the InBev/Molsen Coors/Heineken world domination through competitor acquisitions conspiracy.

Exactly how I feel. Finding a good English Ale is difficult. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is now their only beer on the shelf. No longer can I even find Harp.

June 12, 2023, 07:46 PM

PASig

quote:
Originally posted by clang:

Anyone remember Pete’s Wicked Ale? Another early craft beer the went extinct.

Yes, that was a good one

They were one of the first generation of craft brewers on the scene late 1980’s to late 1990’s era. I think they got too big too fast and tried to buy out a couple other up and coming craft breweries and imploded.

June 12, 2023, 10:55 PM

akcopnfbks

It has become difficult to find decent non-IPA beers these days. I don't care for IPA's personally, though I did go through a phase a decade or so ago.....Ruination by Stone, Jet Star by No-Li, Dogfish Head 60 & 90 minute IPA's, etc. I always went back, however, to good German beers....Hofbrau, Spaten, dunkels, weissbiers, marzen style, Oktoberfests, etc. And malty deliciousness like a good Scottish ale or various Christmas ales (current fav is the Breckenridge Brewery's Christmas Ale). Point is: I agree with a lot of folks here that good beer is getting harder to find in favor of, well, crap. Flavored alcohol seltzers are uniquely terrible to me, and the various lawnmower macro-brews are (and always have been) crap. Fruit beers don't work for me either. Shiner is still damn good beer, and I still have a couple of good local breweries to patronize.

June 12, 2023, 10:56 PM

akcopnfbks

OH! I still like and can get Red Hook ESB locally. It's a tasty beer.

June 13, 2023, 05:59 AM

lyman

quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
If 70%+ of their sales are in California anyway, I suspect moving to 100% California sales won't be too much of a change for them. (Likely driven by their new corporate overloads deciding that the added cost of national distribution wasn't justified by <30% of their sales.)

It must be a pretty regional beer anyway, with the other 30% likely coming primarily from neighboring states on the west coast or out west. I've never heard of Anchor Steam beer.

Similar to something like Goose Island, which is all over the place in the northern midwest, available in every gas station, liquor store, and grocery store, but which you never run across down here. Or like Yuengling was on the east coast area, up until a few years ago when they started more national distribution.

Anchor Steam is available here on the East Coast in VA, and sold well,

the Christmas beers are usually delicious and sell out quick

June 13, 2023, 06:01 AM

lyman

quote:
Originally posted by dsiets:

But, stores can only hold so many brands which is primarily the realm of the distributors.

.

true,

been a few years since I was in the biz, but it used to be the Distributor had a buyer that looked at that, and some management that had the local sales folks push it,

sometimes the micro would be with a top notch distributor, sometimes not,

we used to have 3 major players here, one was a AB house and sold only AB product, and Heineken,
another was the Miller house and sold a lot besides Miller,

and the 3rd big (kinda ) player , sold Corona and a shitton of micros, but they struggled with capitol, and had many suppliers demanding payment up front, so if they could afford to restock, they did, sometimes it may be a long while before a resupply of some brands,

all 3 were locally owned, and all 3 have been bought out by larger national or larger regional players so that has changed a bit since I left the grocery biz

June 13, 2023, 07:17 AM

sgalczyn

quote:
Originally posted by radioman:
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
Wow, that's disappointing to hear. ....

I'm sure you can get someone to bring some across the state line...

Needs an update...............

June 13, 2023, 08:02 AM

chellim1

quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
quote:
Originally posted by clang:
Anyone remember Pete’s Wicked Ale? Another early craft beer the went extinct.

Yes, that was a good one...

They were one of the first generation of craft brewers on the scene late 1980’s to late 1990’s era.

I was a fan, back in college. Couldn't afford a lot of it though.

June 13, 2023, 08:11 AM

snwghst

quote:
Originally posted by akcopnfbks:
OH! I still like and can get Red Hook ESB locally. It's a tasty beer.

Red Hook is an AB product they snatched up in the 90's along with Widmer.

I was interviewed to be a regional Rep for them, got flown to Seattle the same day Shipman announced a hiring freeze. Was told on arrival I was going to be offered the position, can't now, have a great weekend on us. Week later the sale to AB was announced

June 13, 2023, 05:09 PM

jhe888

quote:
Originally posted by clang:
Anchor Liberty Ale was a favorite but I haven’t seen it in decades. It was like a Ballantine but better if you know what I mean.

I miss Ballantine too BTW…

Anyone remember Pete’s Wicked Ale? Another early craft beer the went extinct.

I also liked Pete's brews. They never had their own brewing facilities. They brewed at Miller facilities - I don't know if Miller did the brewing to their recipes, or if Pete's rented space and time in Miller's breweries. The Wicked Ale was pretty good at a time when there weren't many craft brews out there.

June 15, 2023, 02:32 PM

PASig

quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:

I also liked Pete's brews. They never had their own brewing facilities. They brewed at Miller facilities - I don't know if Miller did the brewing to their recipes, or if Pete's rented space and time in Miller's breweries. The Wicked Ale was pretty good at a time when there weren't many craft brews out there.

I never realized they were a contract brewer.

Was up in Rochester NY some years back for work and got to go to the Genesee Brewery which has a beer museum and decent pub and was surprised at how many "craft" beers were being brewed at the Genesee facility there.

June 15, 2023, 02:46 PM

Ogie

Weird stuff going on. Every year for decades I have been purchasing Bass Ale around Father's Day. Last year I couldn't find it. This year I couldn't find it so like last year I bought some Fat Tire Ale. After doing a little research, I find out it is no longer available. Wow! And I found out incidentally that it is/was under the AB umbrella.