In a previous opinion on Samuel Adams Boston Lager, I wrote about beer entrepreneur and pioneer Jim Koch and the ways in which he expanded awareness of craft beer in the United States. While it's true Koch fanned the flames of beer enthusiasm here, the man who lit the fire was none other than Anchor Brewing's Fritz Maytag.
If you're wondering about the name of this opinion, it refers to the style name for steam beer: California common. Fritz Maytag protects the name "Steam" quite vigorously, and although there are other examples of the style brewed in the states they'll generally be referred to as common. So what is Steam beer? It's a style that originated in California, where the warm weather promoted the use of lager yeast at ale temperatures. This hybrid beer produced a lot of carbonation, so much so that casks of the beer seemed to "steam", hence the name.
Anchor Brewing traces its roots back to at least 1896. The brewery survived prohibition, but nearly went under in the mid nineteen sixties until it was rescued by beer lover and entrepreneur Fritz Maytag. His last name may be on a major appliance in your home, and that's where Fritz's wealth and ability to buy the brewery came from. He purchased it in 1965 and slowly nursed it back to health with years of hard work and dedication.
Though not a microbrewery, Anchor was producing Christmas ales as early as 1974 and a hoppy India pale almost that far back too. Maytag's beer was widely available, though pricey, long before any other craft beer. I remember getting six packs of Anchor Steam back in 1983 in Rhode Island. At $9.00 a six pack, it was a rare treat, but a very special one.
Anchor Steam seems to be a bit more reasonably priced, now. I can often get it for about $7.50 here in Atlanta. But as always, it's important to make sure it's fresh. This is a very perishable brew.
Steam Beer is a thing of beauty to behold even before you take a sip. The golden orange liquid supports a creamy, thick head formation of small, very tightly packed bubbles. A steady stream of bubbles rises to the top of the glass.
The nose hints at fruit and caramel malt. The palate is smooth, clean and crisp, slightly toasty and very malty and firm-bodied. There's a subtle fruitiness. A lively hop bitterness gradually sneaks up on you and doesn't make it's presence fully known until about thirty seconds after you've finished your sip.
Certainly an American classic, it's a great beer to match with just about any cuisine. Tonight I'm enjoying it with another American classic: a juicy, lightly seasoned steak with a baked potato and yellow squash.
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