As the 1950s wound down, the proliferation of mass-produced, heavily marketed light lagers took an increasing toll on America’s—and San Francisco’s—small brewers. But a number of local establishments still proudly featured Anchor’s signature product, in particular the Crystal Palace Market between Market and Mission at 8th Street. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it was a “sprawling, pungent, cheap and exotic carnival of delicatessen and delicacy.”

During the 1940s and 50s, Austrian Joseph Erdelatz served Anchor Steam and hot dogs at his bar in the southeast corner of this vast, colorful marketplace. Locals called it the “Steam Beer Parlor,” scarcely imagining its pivotal role in Anchor’s or its beer’s survival. For had it not been for the Crystal Palace, there might never have been an Old Spaghetti Factory, and without the Old Spaghetti Factory and its charismatic owner, Fred Kuh, there might be no Anchor Steam Beer today. Fritz Maytag, who tells the story better than anyone, shared it with me a few years ago:

Ah, Fred. A man of good taste. He had lived in Chicago and been to the Sieben’s Brewery, where I later bought our bottling line. They were the last brewery in America to have a restaurant in the brewery, a little Bier stube. And when he came to San Francisco for a visit, on the way into town from the airport, the very first thing his friend did was take him for a visit to the crystal Palace Market, sort of the equivalent of today’s farmers’ market. He recognized it immediately as similar to the great traditions of good food in Europe. Then his friend took him to the taproom at the crystal Palace Market, where they served Anchor steam on draught. Fred told me that he vowed that day, in the bar, drinking Anchor steam, that he would move to San Francisco, open a restaurant, and serve only Anchor steam Beer on draught.

And Fred Kuh served, on draught, Anchor Steam Beer only, all the years he was open. He had bottled beers, but no other beer on draught ever. And it was a booming place with young people. It was a target for the brewers. Imagine all the salespeople from Budweiser, Coors, and Miller, who would call on Fred at the Old Spaghetti Factory and tell him that he couldn’t possibly survive as a business if he didn’t have their beer on draught. And he told them all to go jump in the lake.

Fred Kuh had made good on his vow.

__________________________________

Reprinted with permission from The Anchor Brewing Story: America’s First Craft Brewery & San Francisco’s Original Anchor Steam Beer by David Burkhart, foreword by Fritz Maytag, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

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If you’ve recently returned to San Francisco bars freshly vaccinated, you may have encountered an unexpected problem: your local pub no longer has a favorite beer.

According to KPIX, dozens of bars in San Francisco have had problems with distributor Golden Brands, who sells popular brands like Corona, Modelo, Miller, PBR, and even San Francisco’s very own Anchor. While many bars used to deliver beer once a week, Golden Brands now only delivers once a month to some accounts.

For smaller bars with limited storage space, including Elixir in the Mission and St. Mary’s Pub in Bernal Heights, storing a month’s worth of beers is impossible – so they have no choice but to draw Golden Brands beers on tap.

“We don’t have any Golden Brands products,” Maria Davis, owner of St. Mary’s Pub, told KPIX. “I would like to. People ask about it. We have people who work for Anchor.”

To address the problem, bars in San Francisco have come together. In early June, more than 80 bars signed a letter from the SF Bar Owner Alliance received by SFGATE asking Golden Brands to make changes, including weekly deliveries and improving customer service.

“The UK’s ordering and sales process was so poor that it became a burden to get their product,” the letter said in a quote from a member of the SF Bar Owner Alliance. “Miller and PBR used to be our bestsellers, now we’ve switched to Budweiser and Tecate. In my 20 years in the bar industry, I’ve never felt so offended by any company.”

If Golden Brands refuses to make the changes, the bars will organize a boycott of Golden Brands’ products.

“Needless to say, the last year has been a difficult and stressful time for all businesses, but especially for bars and restaurants,” the letter continues. “We have wasted an inordinate amount of our limited resources, time, and patience on Golden Brands. We ask that you treat all of your customers, not just your greatest, with respect.”

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Market Manager – San Francisco, CA

Goal setting

Flying Embers is looking for a market manager who is hardworking and highly motivated to oversee the daily sales and distribution through wholesalers and retailers in San Francisco / San Mateo. The ideal candidate will have experience in the alcoholic beverage industry with an emphasis on wholesalers relationships, retail fulfillment, customer service and field service to further build Flying Embers as the alcohol leader that is better for you. The Market Manager reports to his Regional Director of Sales.

Core tasks

• Daily interactions between wholesalers with management and the sales team to achieve sales and distribution goals.
• Manage the key account base for sales and distribution with a minimum service standard of at least 160 calls / month.
• Coordinate incentives and sales campaigns
• Administration and execution of the national Flying Embers programs, chain mandates / permits and notification programs.
• Ensure the proper marketing of products and point of sale materials in your market according to our branding standards.
• Conduct staff training, beer tasting, and other events as needed.
• Assisting the Regional Director in managing orders and stock levels.
• Work effectively within brewery and budget guidelines.
• Use sales tools (VIP, KARMA, Nielsen, IRI, etc.) effectively.
• Recap KARMA weekly accomplishments and follow the wholesalers
• Coordinate with the wholesaler (s) on ways to close commitments.

Knowledge, skills and abilities required

• Understanding of the 3-tier system
• Confident handling of Excel, PowerPoint, Office
• Customer service oriented.
• Strong oral / written communication and computer skills, detail-oriented
• Excellent judgment, professional maturity and responsible decision-making.
• Team player with a strong work ethic and initiative
• Ability to demonstrate reliability and work in a fast-paced environment, ability to multitask.

Education and work experience

• At least 2 years of business-to-business sales experience required.
• First experience in the alcohol business is desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or marketing preferred

Flying embers offers very competitive wages determined by experience and other factors. The position is entitled to exceptional medical, dental and visual coverage for corporate holdings and relocation in addition to qualifying.

Position snapshot

Employment type: full-time

Job type: Not exempt

Salary type: salary

Supervisor: Regional Director of Sales

Preferred location: San Francisco

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree preferred

Minimum experience: 2-3 years

Age requirement: 21 years or older

Tools and equipment used: Standard office equipment

Physical and mental demands

Required to routinely and repeatedly lift up to 55 pounds and maneuver 170 pounds. Stand, sit, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, stoop, speak, hear, taste, smell, see and operate objects, tools and controls. Regularly exposed to damp, wet environments with hot liquids, airborne particles, chemicals and moving machinery. You must have the physical and mental strength and endurance to perform tasks in sometimes extreme environments, as well as the ability to deal with the stressors of the position. You must be able to travel by car, plane, or train.

Equal opportunity:

We are an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate against employees or job applicants based on race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or other federal, state or other local protection class.

The employer reserves the right to change this position or reassign it to other duties as business requirements change.

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There’s not much information out there, but rumor has it that the owners of Burklee Hill Vineyards have bought a building near their winery and are planning to start Burklee Brew.

While Burklee Hill Vinyards is not a new venture in itself, their winery is a fairly new venture after starting their vineyard in 2002. They opened the winery in March 2020 after renovating the iconic Kress department store building in downtown Lubbock.

They serve a variety of wines along with their expertly designed menu. The winery owners, Chance and Elizabeth Hill, are all about trying and creating delicious food. Although Hill mainly leads the life of a farmer, he also enjoys cooking. Hill’s sister is also a cook in San Francisco, helping them curate the best food for their guests.

Despite being a newer winery, they have already made a name for themselves. Their 2019 Reserve Tempranillo even won a double gold medal and Best of Class award in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in 2021.

Seeing their success with wines, I’m excited to see what they will do with beer. Burklee Brew tentative opening is this fall, which is fast approaching.

I wonder what made her start brewing beer as well as wine. There’s not much information on the new brewery so I’m excited to see how it turns out. It would be cool to see some unique versions of their beer as they are familiar with making wine, but I think we’ll just have to wait and see.

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A new beer hall opens today, June 23rd, as one of the biggest projects by Dennis, David and Daniel Lee, the brothers behind the now closed Namu Gaji, the still popular Namu Stonepot and Sunset Squares Pizza. It’s a very different vision than what the Lees originally planned for the former Perennial Space when they took it over in 2019 to create a new home for Namu Gaji. However, after having shifted heavily into the fast-casual sector during the pandemic, the brothers decided to relocate their Sunset Squares pizza operation to the empty room and are now opening it up completely as a beer hall with several food concepts and an NFT gallery later more).

Dennis Lee says that while they never had big ambitions to open a beer hall, it was a way to thrive and survive during the pandemic, especially for a chef who has always been nimble with deliveries and social media knowledge was. And now that it’s reopening, it’s giving guests a chance to gather together in a cool space while still providing take-out and convenience. “I see a relapse or regression towards more comfort foods,” says Lee. “I think everyone is a bit traumatized and is also looking for less challenging experiences.”

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

In essence, they keep it gentle but extremely creative, a signature of the Lee’s projects over the years. Three to four different menus are offered at the same time in the Food Hall, including the Lees’ own fast-casual restaurants, Sunset Squares and Namu Stonepot. Uncle Titos will also offer his Filipino-American comfort as a permanent partner, and another will serve as a rotating guest spot with a lineup TBD.

Sunset Squares serves its signature sourdough pizza – but don’t call it Detroit, it’s all San Francisco – with unexpected toppings like mapo tofu, bulgogi beef, and deconstructed clam soup. Namu Stonepot shines with kali-Korean sizzling rice and vegetables, wavy okonomiyaki with bonito flakes and street dogs with sisig or kimchee. And Uncle Tito, the long-running pandemic pop-up, serves up its popular boan boxes, silog specials, wontons and ube buns that bleed purple for dessert.

Patricia Chang

As the title suggests, there will be strong beer, offering local craft brews with lots of hops and a great weed taste. Sean O’Leary, who comes from Seven Stills, curates the beer list with Cellarmaker, Harmonic, Far West Cider and more. They have about 10 beers on tap and a cold carton full of cans. And while SSP Beer Hall won’t be trading cannabis, they are working with some local pharmacies and creating special pizzas for the nearby Moe Greens and Vapor Room.

Fans of the perennial may recall that it was an impressive 5,000 square feet divided into several different rooms, with a lounge, bar, and dining room. The SSP Beer Hall has definitely rearranged itself: the original bar room is being used as seating, with space for around 50 people at a communal table, seating at the bar and seating at a new window counter. In this new era of QR codes, customers can step in, grab a seat and order directly from their devices.

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

Patricia Chang

With so many different menus, the kitchen took over the former dining room to expand the business. And the Lees hope to turn the former cafe into an art gallery that has not yet been revealed. They hold the warm and zen redwood slabs that are grooved with Japanese carpentry. But they added the tech with seven screens in the room, all of which are dedicated to displaying digital art.

The Lee brothers fiercely claim that the SSP Beer Hall is “the first physical NFT gallery in San Francisco” and the first combined “beer hall and NFT gallery in the world”. NFT stands for non-fungible token and is a way for artists to authenticate digital art using the same technologies as cryptocurrencies, as our friends at the Verge explain so much better than we ever could. The SSP Beer Hall plans to host monthly exhibitions showcasing artists such as Robness, Fewocious, Hackatao, Xcopy, and Beeple, and “foster a community around cryptocurrencies.” So yeah, this is literally a crypto bro party. But hey, the menus look stupid.

The SSP Beer Hall opens Wednesday June 23 for indoor, takeaway and delivery dining. Opening times are Wednesday to Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

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