In July, Anchor Brewing introduced the latest in their limited edition Zymaster Series. Dedicated to the revival of classical beer styles, Zymaster was launched earlier this February with the release of California Lager–a crisp, golden-orange pale with a touch of citrus zest. The follow-up, No. 2 Mark’s Mild, celebrates brewmaster Mark Carpenter’s 41st anniversary with the groundbreaking pioneer of the modern craft movement.
Sour Beer
Shortly after rescuing the Anchor Brewery in 1965, Fritz Maytag threw a party to spread the word. A veritable who’s-who of San Franciscans, including the mayor, RSVP’ed. But instead of celebrating, the fete nearly turned into a funeral. “We had in those days,” said Maytag, “two tanks of beer and we filled about one hundred kegs per tank. And it was all sour.” The beer, it turns out, was grossly infected with sour-taste-making bacteria, to the point where Maytag jokingly referred to it as a “Belgian beer.” The story has a happy ending—employees fortunately tracked down enough refrigerated kegs to slow the bacteria’s growth, and folks were none the wiser—but that’s where Anchor’s strict adherence to thorough sanitation originated. So while each of Anchor’s early products pioneered their American craft iterations from IPA to porter to barleywine, the brewery is now one of the few craft breweries in the nation [...]
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