Shows
The Beer Craft, Homebrewing PodcastSteam Beer: Origens, and Unlikly Hero of Craft Beer.If there ever was a beer that started the craft beer movement, a beer with one foot firmly rooted in history, and led by an unlikely pioneer, it would have to be San Francisco's Anchor Steam Beer. A beer style that was practicly extinct, a mere footnote in the lineup of a failing brewery, and one which was given another moment in the sunshine thanks to mondern household appliances. Though the beers are gone, we raise our glasses to Fritz Maytag because if we ever have a chance to make another brewer better, it's because of him.
2026-01-291h 03
Beer In Front279 Anchor Brewing StoryIn Episode 279, Dave dives into the rise, fall, and lasting legacy of Anchor Brewing, one of the true pioneers of American craft beer. From its 19th-century roots to the steam beer that helped kickstart the modern craft movement, this episode looks at how Anchor shaped the industry — and why its story still hits so hard today.Main TopicsThe History of Anchor Brewing A full walkthrough of Anchor’s incredible journey, including:Its founding during the California Gold RushThe near-collapse in the 1950s and 60sThe Fritz Maytag rescue that changed everythingHow Anchor Steam became a craf...
2025-11-1721 minThe Beer Craft, Homebrewing PodcastResurecting a Classic. Hales Ales, American Pale AleBeer History has been one of the ways that keep me ingaged in this hobby. A while back I thought about the beers that started the craft beer movement, from Fritz Maytag's Anchor Steam to Ken Grossman's Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Here in Washington, there was a standout with the slogan "Think Globally, Drink Locally" that certainly had a hand in shaping the trajectory of Beer. I set out to recreate the beer for a seasonal recipe kit, but I quickly hit a wall. The Brewery was closed, the website takendown and the only source material I could find...
2025-10-021h 01
The Whiskey Ring PodcastEp. 196: Kevin Aslan talks Hotaling & Co, Old Potrero, Hirsch American Whiskey, and Junipero GinSpirits of San Francisco: Inside Hotaling & Co with Kevin Aslan
Have you tried or heard of Old Potrero Rye? What about Junipero Gin? Surely you've heard of Hirsch American Whiskey, right? If not, Kevin Aslan, head distiller for Hotaling & Co. in San Francisco, is here to re-introduce these under-the-radar giants of American craft whiskey.
Old Potrero, when it first arrived in 1996 (distilled in 1993) was the first fully pot distilled whiskey in America since Prohibition. Add to that, it was 100% malted rye, no exogenous enzymes and no other grains. The brainchild of Fritz Maytag and Bruce J...
2025-07-231h 40
Brew Ha HaFogbelt and the Return of Red Tail AleFogbelt Brewing Company owner Paul Hawley is here along with Native American brewer Pedro Mancilla to tell about the return of Red Tail Ale.
Hawley, co-founder of Fogbelt Brewing Company is here along with Native American brewer Pedro Mancilla to talk about bringing back Red Tail Ale. Fogbelt is making some of Mendocino Brewing’s classic Red Tail Ale. This was the most famous brew early in the craft brewing movement. In the 1980s it was one of the leading new beers.
Fogbelt Paul tells how he and Remy Martin started the brewery in 2013 after ho...
2025-04-2538 min
Reset Your Thinking PodcastBook: Small GiantsThis briefing document summarizes the key themes and important ideas presented in the provided excerpts from Bo Burlingham's "Small Giants." The central argument revolves around the conscious choice some entrepreneurs make to prioritize being great over being big. These "small giants" deliberately limit their growth to maintain a strong sense of purpose, deeper connections with stakeholders (employees, customers, community, suppliers), and a unique company culture often referred to as "mojo." The excerpts explore the motivations behind this choice, the challenges these companies face (particularly the pressure to grow), the strategies they employ to remain successful while staying true to...
2025-04-1427 minReset Your Thinking PodcastBook: Small Giants"Small Giants" by Bo Burlingham
Main Theme: The book explores the idea that business success doesn't always equate to massive growth. Some companies deliberately choose to remain "small giants," prioritizing other values like meaningful work, strong company culture, deep customer relationships, and community impact over relentless expansion and maximizing profits at all costs. The book investigates what makes these companies unique and successful.
Key Ideas and Facts:
The Choice: The foundational idea is that businesses have a choice about whether or not to pursue relentless growth. As Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing realized, a...
2025-02-2720 minBrew Ha HaAmerican Craft Beer Hall of Fame with Marty NachelMarty Nachel
Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Steve Jaxon welcomes Marty Nachel, founder and President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. Herlinda has judged beers with him in Mexico.
First, Herlinda reminds us of the February 22 Beer City Fest. You can sign up to run in the half marathon, or just come to celebrate and drink beer later. Also, the Santa Rosa Beer Passport promotion is going on.
“The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame has been established to honor, celebrate, and commit to history those people who are re...
2025-02-1408 min
WhiskyCastHotaling & Co.'s Bruce Joseph Retires After 45 YearsBruce Joseph started out as a brewer at what was then Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, and became a distiller when owner Fritz Maytag decided he wanted to add a distillery to make rye whiskey. Old Potrero has become a San Francisco favorite, and after 45 years with what is now Hotaling & Co., he's easing into retirement this week. Bruce Joseph joins us for an exclusive interview on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, U.S. trade tariffs against Canada and Mexico are on hold for 30 days, but the fallout continues to spread across North America. We'll talk with...
2025-02-0946 minBrew Ha HaMark Carpenter back for a visitSteve, Mark and Herlinda
Our former co-host Mark Carpenter is back with us for a visit today on Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras. His last visit was this episode in July of 2021. For a long time Mark Carpenter was the co-host of this show. He was the brew master at Anchor until he retired.
Mark has news about the present status of Anchor Brewing. Sapporo decided to close it but an investor has bought the company and is slowly working on restoring the location and the company. Here is an article...
2025-01-1724 min
Brewbound PodcastRoad Reports, Private Equity Deals and More Leadership Changes The Brewbound team reconvenes after a week of West Coast travels to discuss the latest bev-alc industry news. Zoe reports back on the themes coming out of this year's CiderCon in icy Portland, Oregon, and then she and Jess share takeaways from the Beer Industry Summit in San Diego resort city Coronado. Justin joins the duo to break down the big news of the last week, including a craft-on-craft deal in New England, a private equity firm selling part of its stake in Mikkeller, a CEO change at Sapporo-Stone Brewing, another Heineken exec joining Lagunitas' c-suite and an update on the...
2024-01-2436 min
Hoppy TrailsHT015 - Chili Cookoff & More - Julio Peix (Part 1?)We had an issue with the video recording so this episode will be audio only. We had special guest Julio Peix, owner of Lefty's Taproom in Sacramento. Julio has many years in the food and beer industry, including many years with the now-former Anchor Brewing when it was owned by Fritz Maytag. We touch on so many topics and honestly we could have kept going for hours. We'll absolutely have Julio back in the future. For not, make sure you buy tickets for the Sacramento Beer and Chili Fest, September 30th, 2023. There will be a ton of...
2023-07-301h 06Brew Ha HaMark Carpenter on Anchor Brewing’s HistoryBrew Ha Ha’s Summer vacation continues with this repeat episode all about Anchor Brewing’s history, featuring Mark Carpenter. This episode was originally recorded and published on May 2, 2019.
Today on Brew Ha Ha Steve Jaxon gets the whole story from Mark Carpenter about Anchor Brewing, its history and historical context, its production and its role in American brewing. (We were expecting guests from San Francisco’s Fort Point Beer Co. but they are stuck in traffic and will reschedule.)
Mark Carpenter (l) and the Anchor team in the ’70s.
Mark Carpenter started working...
2023-07-2120 minBrew Ha HaHerlinda Heras interviews Bob Brewer of AnchorWe have a special conversation with Bob Brewer, former Anchor Brewing employee, while The Drive and Brew Ha Ha are still on Summer vacation this year. There is sad news in the brewing industry, as Sapporo has announced that Anchor Brewing is closing. Here is the conversation that Herlinda Heras recorded on July 12 with Bob Brewer, who worked for Anchor for many years.
Bob Brewer was on Brew Ha Ha once before on this episode of February 17, 2020.
When Bob Brewer was originally hired at Anchor in 1985, he had been working for a beer wholesaler which...
2023-07-1456 min
Barrel to Bottle, The Binny's PodcastOld Potrero Master Distiller Bruce JosephIt's another Whiskey Hotline episode! Bruce Joseph is the master distiller at Hotaling & Company, formerly Anchor Brewing & Distilling. Hotaling is best known for their Old Potrero ryes. Bruce started working at Anchor Brewing straight out of college in 1980. He was a brewer for 13 years until they got licensed to distill and he switched over. Fritz Maytag was interested in making rye whiskey, particularly its historical ties to Colonial America. Also he liked taking on products that were unpopular and at the time, rye wasn't very popular. Old Potrero 6-Year-Old Straight Rye Old Potrero Cask Strength Straight Ry...
2023-06-3045 min
TaplinesThe Most Important Craft Brewery You've Never Heard OfThere must have been something in the water in Northern California in the late '70s, because the region produced craft brewing legends in scads. Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman joins Taplines today to bring us back to that heady milieu and highlight how two of his Golden State contemporaries in particular helped him keep the brewery's now-iconic pale ale flowing in those early years. One was Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing's "gentleman brewer." The other was Jack McAuliffe, who founded the New Albion Brewing Company in 1976, only to close up shop half a decade later. How did this tiny, failed...
2023-06-2759 minBrew Ha HaThe Anchor Brewing StoryWhile The Drive is on vacation, there is no new Brew Ha Ha episode this week. So, here is an encore presentation of our episode from November 17, 2022, featuring Dave Burkhart, the author of the book The Anchor Brewing Story which was just published at the time.
Anchor Brewing historian Dave Burkhart and former Anchor brewing chief Mark Carpenter join Harry Duke and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. Mark Carpenter is the former co-host of this show who began working at Anchor in 1971. Author Dave Burkhart has been with Anchor Brewing Co. for thirty-one and a half years. Very...
2023-06-1535 minTaplinesHow America’s First Craft Brewery Was (Re)BornThe year was 1965 when a young Fritz Maytag acquired 51% of a failing San Francisco concern known as "The Steam Beer Brewing Company." The success the industrial scion had transforming what we now know as Anchor Brewing Co. is the stuff of beer industry legend, and many point to it as the moment American craft brewing was born. Joining Taplines to tell us how the "Gentleman Brewer" handled his first few years at the helm of this storied brewery is Dave Burkhart, a three-decade Anchor employee, the author of "The Anchor Brewing Story," and a personal friend of Fritz's to this...
2023-06-061h 07
Master Brewers PodcastEpisode 124: Fritz MaytagThis is the story of how Fritz Maytag, father of the American beer revolution, transformed "the last medieval brewery in the world" into one of the most modern breweries on the planet.Special Guest: Fritz Maytag.Sponsored By:The Lupulin Exchange: Berkeley Yeast: Brew Ninja: Precision Fermentation: Gusmer: BSG: Proximity Malt: Hopsteiner: Links:The story of the whirlpool — 1969 MBAA TQThe Role of Iodophors in Brewery Sanitation — 1964 MBAA TQUpcoming Events - Master Brewers CalendarJoin Master Brewers
2023-02-201h 17
Total SFSecrets of Anchor Brewing in San Francisco!Anchor Brewing has been a big part of San Francisco for more than a century, surviving Prohibition as the only steam beer left in San Francisco, then leading the craft beer movement after innovative brewer Fritz Maytag took over in 1965. Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight got an Anchor Brewing tour from brewmaster Dane Volek, then sat down to talk about Anchor history, the controversial label change and what is was like joining the Anchor team as a 20-year-old San Francisco State student 15 years ago.Also in the episode, Knight and Hartlaub take three calls...
2023-01-2734 min
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine PodcastTom Riley and Dane Volek of Anchor Open Up About Steam Beer and Open FermentationAnchor Brewmaster Tom Riley has been working on steam beer for a long time—38 years, in fact. He started at Anchor in 1984, decades before craft beer was considered a viable career choice, and has watched the entire industry grow up alongside Anchor. He’s a company man, and in 38 years of brewing, this is the only place he’s brewed. Assistant Brewmaster Dane Volek started at Anchor 14 years ago and, like Riley, has only worked at Anchor. He leads the R&D side of the brewery now, making beers on the smaller brewhouse across the street from the production brewer...
2022-08-261h 02
Bourbon Lens186: Reintroducing Old Potrero Straight Rye WhiskeyOur guest is Bruce Joseph, Master Distiller of Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey for Hotaling & Co. Bruce previously appeared back in Episode 74 (circa June 2020), but he's back with his unique malted rye whiskey and it is now bearing a higher age statement and some killer new packaging. The malted rye mashbill is pot distilled in San Francisco and admittedly is one of the most unique whiskies we've tried during this podcast's history. If you want to flex your palate and see what else is out there in craft whiskey, we highly recommend you find a bottle of Old Potrero's 6 ye...
2022-08-0834 min
Beery InterestingEp 6 - California CommonSipping on an Anchor Steam and chatting about gold-rush Californian cripy bois and Fritz Maytag (the crispiest boi).
2021-04-0622 min
Barrel Room ChroniclesSOW EP 23 - Bruce Joseph of Hotaling & Co.This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Bruce Joseph, Master Distiller at Hotaling & Co., a pioneer of American craft distilling. The San Francisco distillery, founded by the legendary Fritz Maytag and formerly known as Anchor Distilling, before the 2017 purchase of its brewing operations by Japan's Sapporo Breweries, released its first small-batch spirits in 1996, long before craft distilling became the nationwide, and now global, phenomenon it is today. Listen and learn how Bruce, who in 2020 celebrates his 40th anniversary with the company, rose from bottling Anchor Steam as a means of zeroing out his beer budget to...
2020-11-1157 min
The Liquor Store PodcastHotaling & Co. Importer & Distiller of Fine SpiritsIn this episode, Matt talks to Hotaling & Co. CEO, Dan Leese. Hotaling & Co., formerly Anchor Distilling Company, is an importer and distiller of fine spirits headquartered in San Francisco. Originally established in 1993 by beverage visionary Fritz Maytag, fueled by the bold realization that there were no pot-distilled whiskies or high-end craft gins being made legally in America at the time. As a result, Anchor Distilling Company is credited with creating America's first craft whiskey (Old Potrero) and gin (Junípero Gin) after Prohibition. In 2010, Fritz Maytag retired and sold Anchor Distilling Company to a business partnership that in...
2020-07-3147 min
Bourbon Lens74: Rye Whiskey Born From BrewersBruce Joseph, Master Distiller of Hotaling & Co., joins us to discuss one of the original craft rye whiskies post-Prohibition. Old Potrero emerged out San Francisco after a few brewers decided to try their hand at distillation in the mid-1990s. Hotaling & Co. (formerly the Anchor Distilling Company) produces several rye whiskies under the Old Potrero namesake. This unique rye whiskey is made from 100% malted rye grain and distilled using pot stills. We had the opportunity to try Old Potrero Straight Rye (aged 4.5 years in new charred oak) and 18th Century Rye (aged 2.5 years in toasted oak), each of which bea...
2020-06-0842 min
Liquid BreadNew Albion, Part IThis week's all about the history of craft beer, and one of its most important breweries! Well, two, really. Part one of the New Albion story covers the American beer industry in the first half of the 1900s, up to Fritz Maytag's revival of Anchor Brewing in the 60s. Plus Larry tries out a German accent!
2020-04-2251 min
The Spirit Guide SocietyMaurice Chevalier IV's Whiskey Vault #2Just like last year, Hotaling & Co's Brand Development Manager, Maurice Chevalier, had too many bottles in his personal whiskey collection and decided to share some with the Spirit Guide Society! Join us as be brings in some very special end of the year treats!--What we drank:Old Potrero Straight RyeOld Potrero Hoatlaing's 11 Year Rye WhiskeyLot 40 Canadian RyeGooderham and Worts Four Grain WhiskeyDingle Irish WhiskeyKavalan Distillery SelectNikka 17--From the...
2019-12-241h 00
Craft Beer RepublicBatch173: Anchor Brewing's Scott UngermannCheers and holiday beers, tap heads! We are honored to be joined by Scott Ungermann, brewmaster (and extremely cool guy) at Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, CA. I think by now, everyone in the craft world has heard of, and probably had their hands on, Anchor Steam or our favorite, Anchor's Christmas Ale.We talk to Scott about his history as a beer drinker and beer maker, cutting his teeth with Budweiser, producing such vast quantities of beer, transitioning into his role at Anchor Brewing, what excites him about the craft beer world, and even talk a little about...
2019-11-0547 min
Craft Beer StormCraft Brew News # 50 - Beer in the Smithsonian and Clean Maine WaterCraft Brew News 10/25/2019(Courtesy of Brewbound – www.Brewbound.com)Smithsonian to Open Beer Industry ExhibitA new exhibit that the Smithsonian National Museum of American History will highlight beer and its history in the U.S. “Brewing a Revolution” will join the museum’s permanent “FOOD: Transforming the American Table” exhibit on Friday, October 25.According to a press release, “Visitors will see artifacts, archival materials and photographs that originated in the homebrewing and microbrewing movements of California and Colorado in the 1960s through 1980s — the beginning of the craft beer ‘revolution,’ Key artifacts o...
2019-10-2509 min
The DC Beer ShowTheresa McCulla and The Smithsonian's Last CallOn October 25, 2019, a new exhibit will be opening up at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History that highlights the American brewing history. Exhibit Curator Theresa McCulla joins Richard on this episode of the DC Beer Show.Theresa explains how beer fits into a longer timeline in history and shares how she collected items for this exhibit. From sheet music to a 1970s vibrating football table, some items from the exhibit are not your typical beer-related items, but they hold meaning. Theresa also previews some of the items beer industry gurus like Michael Lewis, Fritz Maytag, and Charlie...
2019-10-1634 min
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore590: Jake Maddux on Using Pop-Ups to Create Culture and BrandJake Maddux hails from Bartlesville, OK, and is graduate of Oklahoma University. Prior to getting involved in the world beer and hospitality, Maddux served as a U.S. Marine. After his service, Maddux found himself in San Francisco, working for one of the most renowned breweries in the world, Anchor Brewing Company. Maddux also spent some time with another industry great, New Belgium Brewing Company, before finding his way to Austin. In 2018 Maddux, founded The Brewers Table, where their focus is on community, collaboration, and creating beer as good as the food and food as good as the beer.
2019-02-181h 09The Spirit Guide SocietyHotaling's Old Potrero with Master Distiller Bruce JosephAs we've said on many occasions, you never know where great whiskey is going to find its roots. Old Potrero, which was one of the original pioneers of the American craft whiskey distilling scene, was founded by Fritz Maytag. Fritz is a member of the washing machine Maytags and while we don't know much about home appliances, we do know really good whiskey when we taste it! Master Distiller Bruce Joseph joins us this week to share the history and the secrets of this delicious, San Francisco whiskey.Follow us:spiritguidesocietypodcast.comfacebook...
2018-12-2558 min
Middle Market Thought Leader | Priorities for Growth205: Anchor Brewing: Legacy of a Small Giant | John Dannerbeck, Former PresidentWhen Japan's Sapporo last year acquired craft-beer pioneer Anchor Brewing, many craft brewers characterized the transaction as the end of an era. It's one John Dannerbeck today looks back on fondly having worked alongside the brewery's legendary owner Fritz Maytag and the eclectic mix of seasoned managers that stubbornly rejected the notion of growth for growth sake and consequently gave birth to a global movement of craft brewers. Join us when John revisits his entry into the brewing business and the unrelenting market dynamics that bruised management's ability to keep growth at bay.
2018-03-1939 min
Good Beer HuntingEP-125 Scott Ungermann of Anchor Brewing and DistillingIn the age of hyper-local craft, we have a competing—or perhaps complementary?—narrative in the U.S., and that’s heritage brands. You may have heard my counterpart, Matthew Curtis (who's based in London), mention the UK's traditional breweries more than once. It’s an interesting dynamic having young, upstart craft brands entering the market alongside these elder statesmen who are sometimes hundreds of years old, and both sets of companies are trying to reach drinkers with a message about quality and craftsmanship. To U.S. ears, it’s a bit like listening in on a bizarro universe. We simply don’t...
2017-05-2755 min
WhiskyCastWhiskyCast Episode 617: November 27, 2016What we think of today as the boom in craft distilling started 20 years ago this year, when San Francisco brewer Fritz Maytag bottled the first batch of Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey at Anchor Brewing in the city's Potrero Hill neighborhood. In 1993, Maytag and his staff cobbled together parts to build a distillery inside the brewery, long known for its Anchor Steam beer, and Bruce Joseph was put in charge of running the still. Today, Bruce Joseph is still Anchor's head distiller, and he'll join us for this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the results of t...
2016-11-2843 min
Brew Bloods: Drink Beer, Think BeerBrew Bloods 053 - D.L. Geary's Hampshire Special Ale“Beer does not make itself properly by itself. It takes an element of mystery and of things that no one can understand.” — Fritz Maytag We're headed to the North Eastern United States for D.L. Geary's Hampshire Special Ale, our first beer from Maine. In education we find out exactly what a beer's gravity is. Listen and Subscribe to the Show for Free! Use any of these sources to subscribe to the show. If you're not sure how to subscribe, check out our How To Subscribe Guide. iTunes RSS Browser Spreaker Stitcher...
2016-06-0145 min
MicroBrewr PodcastMicroBrewr 037: A forty-year career at the epicenter of craft beer
Mark Carpenter wasn’t happy with his job. One day, he took a tour of Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, California, and thought it would be a fun place to work. Over 40 years later, he’s still the brewer.
Shaun O’Sullivan, Founder and Brewer of 21st Amendment Brewery says Anchor Brewing is “the epicenter of craft beer for all of us in this industry.”
Anchor Brewing has been operating in San Francisco under the same name since 1896. The company struggled severely in the mid-1900s. Fritz Maytag loved to drink Anchor Steam Beer on tap, and he bou...
2014-11-2548 min