Maytag drops Anchor

The Anchor Brewing Co, the San Francisco brewery that helped spark the modern microbrewery movement, has been sold to two Californian entrepreneurs.

Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, of the investment and consulting company The Griffin Group, have bought it from Fritz Maytag, who rescued the brand in the 1960s.

The Griffin Group, which developed the Skyy Vodka brand in the US and also owns a stake in the mischievous Scottish microbrewer Brewdog, said they plan to expand the brewery’s operations.

"This is something we want to build on for the rest of our careers and pass on to the next generation," Foglio, who will serve as the company’s chairman, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Anchor traces its origins to the Gold Rush, but when Maytag took it over it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Maytag, 72, invested his inheritance into the company and turned it around.

At a time when mass-produced beer was gaining in popularity, Maytag is credited with reviving the craft beer industry and influencing the founders of other microbreweries, including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

"He was a legend for many of the small brewers who came after him," said Ken Grossman, founder of Chico-based Sierra Nevada.

"Combining Keith and Tony’s passion for the Anchor Brewing Co., their industry experience and expertise only means that Anchor will be enjoyed in San Francisco for generations to come," Maytag said in a statement.

Ben McFarland, 13.05.2010