On May 31, Hamdi Ulukaya, the billionaire founder of Chobani yogurt, acquired Anchor Brewing.
Founded in 1896 in San Francisco, Anchor Beer was the first craft brewery in the history of the United States.
The purchase price was not disclosed. In a statement released on May 31, Ulukaya said Anchor beer embodies many of the best qualities of San Francisco and is excited to be part of the company's rebirth.
The brewing company, founded in San Francisco in 1896, announced its closure last year amid declining sales and increased competition from canned cocktails, craft drinks, spirits and wine, to the grief of beer lovers.
In the 1960s, the Anchor beer company was bought out of bankruptcy by Fritz Maytag, a graduate student at Stanford University. Mettag has also sparked a revival of small-scale and local winemaking. Japanese brewer Sapporo Beer Company bought Anchor Beer Company for $850,000 in 2017.
In July 2023, Japan's Sapporo Beer Company closed Anchor Beer Company. Anchor Beer employees tried to buy the company and avoid production, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
About the Anchor Brewing
Originally founded in 1896, Anchor Brewing's iconic Steam beer and Liberty Ale laid the foundation for the American pale beer style and were epochal for the craft brewing revolution in the United States and around the world.