SAN FRANCISCO– On August 17, Anchor Steam Week returns for the sixth year in a row. In 2015, the Mayor of San Francisco proclaimed the third week of August to be Anchor Steam Week, honoring Anchor’s role in pioneering the American craft beer movement, legendary local history and continued commitment to brewing in San Francisco—the brewery’s home for now over 124 years. While Anchor Steam Week is usually celebrated with parties and events in venues in the Bay Area and beyond, the 2020 celebration has gone completely virtual with performances and culinary experiences by legendary San Francisco Bay Area artists on Anchor’s Instagram page, headlined by Chef Melissa King and musician Chaz Bear of the band Toro y Moi.
Anchor has dedicated the 6th annual Steam Week to the legendary local musicians, culinary professionals and other icons who have helped make the Bay Area an epicenter of culture. All available on Instagram at @AnchorBrewing, the 7 days of virtual performances will celebrate all that makes San Francisco legendary while entertaining fans at a time when we can’t be together in-person.
One of San Francisco’s culinary stars, Chef Melissa King, will be a key partner of Anchor Steam Week by hosting a beer and meal pairing on Tuesday (8/18) and a live cooking demo on Thursday (8/20) at 6 PM. The recipe for her live cooking demo will be made available in-advance of the event and viewers can follow along, cooking together at home while enjoying an Anchor Steam Beer. Chef Melissa King is best known as the winner of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef All Stars’ and is also the winner of All Star’s Fan Favorite. She holds the most challenge wins than any other competitor in the history of ‘Top Chef’. King has been recognized as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and “40 under 40: Rising Star”. She has a unique cooking style that combines modern Californian cooking with Asian flavors.
On Wednesday evening (8/19) at 6 PM, internationally acclaimed musician Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi will perform a 45-minute DJ live set from his studio in Oakland. Toro y Moi is a pioneer of the chillwave movement and has toured the world to sold out audiences from his home base in the Bay. He was even honored by the city of Berkeley with a date dedicated to him, Chaz B. Day.
Anchor Steam Week will also welcome live virtual concerts by The Y Axes on Monday (8/17) at 6 PM and Rainbow Girls on Friday (8/21) at 6 PM. The Y Axes is an indie pop four-piece band that has been based in San Francisco for over 9 years. Hailing from the coast just north of San Francisco, Rainbow Girls is an all-female trio who masters heart-wrenching harmonies inspired by hopeful love, self-reflection and pursuits of social justice.
“We are proud to have beloved Bay Area icons like Toro y Moi and Chef Melissa King headline the virtual Steam Week party starting on August 17th. With a large offering of online events this year, fans everywhere can crack open an ice-cold Anchor Steam for a crisp, flavorful treat and be entertained by some incredible music and culinary experiences.” says Michelle Muhme, Director of Marketing at Anchor Brewing Company.
Friends and fans in the San Francisco Bay Area can celebrate Anchor Steam Week by ordering beers and merchandise through the brewery’s Beer To-Go program. Featuring an easy-to-use online ordering platform and a convenient pickup location at Anchor Public Taps on Potrero Hill, the Anchor Beer To-Go program will offer deals and specialty items throughout Steam Week (from August 14 – 23). Special deals offered daily will range from discounts on Anchor Steam bottles, cans, and growlers, to a mixed 4-pack of crowlers featuring a Steam vertical tasting flight of unfiltered California Lager, unfiltered Anchor Steam, classic Anchor Steam, and a newly released brewery exclusive, ‘Caramel Steam.’ Orders can be placed throughout the week for weekend pickup at www.AnchorBeerToGo.com
Anchor Steam® Beer derives its unusual name from the 19th century when “steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America in rooftop coolers, before the invention of modern refrigeration. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans. Today, Anchor Brewing is one of the few American breweries that still employs open fermentation on a commercial scale. Although Anchor has traded their rooftop pans for modern equipment indoors, the brewery has maintained an open fermentation as part of the brewing heritage for Anchor Steam as well as other beers.
The distinctly flavored San Francisco original has been classically handcrafted in Anchor’s copper brewhouse for 124 years and counting. In 1965, Fritz Maytag acquired and revived the struggling Anchor Brewery. With that, Anchor Steam (4.9% ABV) was the first handcrafted beer to be revitalized in America after Prohibition, starting a revolution in beer that originated today’s craft beer movement. In 1971, Fritz began bottling Anchor Steam Beer—the first bottled Anchor Steam in modern times.
Anchor Steam owes its bright amber color, frosty tan head, and rich, distinctive flavor to its unique, historic brewing process. It reigns in a beer style category of its own by fermenting cool lager yeast at warmer ale temperatures. With a flavorful blend of pale and caramel malts, Anchor Steam is a refreshing, well-balanced beer that complements the crispness of a lager and complexity of an ale.
Celebrate Anchor Steam Week on social media by using the hashtag #RaiseYourAnchor. For more information on Anchor Brewing Company, visit www.AnchorBrewing.com or follow @anchorbrewing on social media.
About Anchor Brewing Company
Anchor Brewing Company opened in 1896, making it one of America’s oldest breweries. Even as times changed, earthquakes shook the city, and Prohibition bled it dry, the brewery persevered. In 1965, Anchor got its second wind, as new owner Fritz Maytag charted a course toward what is now known as “craft beer”. During this time, Anchor reinvented our now classic Steam Beer, introduced the first American pale ale and pioneered new brewing practices—such as dry-hopping—that are still used industry wide today. As a proudly unionized brewery, Anchor now has a growing portfolio of beers including complex ales, refreshing IPAs, and fruit-forward seasonal creations. As always, Anchor Brewing remains committed to charting their own course and crafting iconic beers that stand the test of time. To learn more, visit www.anchorbrewing.com.