In a hard-to-swallow decision, Potrero Hill-based Anchor Brewing Company is pulling back its distribution to focus solely on California, discontinuing its revered annual Anchor Christmas Ale, which has been in production since 1975. Though the label redesign of 2021 might catch the blame, the true cause seems rooted in the economic realities and market pressures of the beer industry. While 70% of Anchor Brewing's sales are within California, fans are questioning if the cutback is driven by the thirst for corporate profits after being sold to Japanese beer conglomerate Sapporo in 2017. With other craft brewers closing or merging, this may be a glimpse at a craft beer market correction after years of growth. Continue reading the full article on SFist →

Image: @AnchorBrewing via Twitter