America's First Craft Brewery, Anchor Brewing, Could Get A Second Chance

Earlier this month, it was reported that Anchor Brewing, America's first craft brewery, was closing for good, much to the disappointment of craft beer fans everywhere. Now, it seems like there's a small chance that Anchor could be saved.

Anchor's parent company, Sapporo USA, announced a few weeks ago that they had made the decision to close Anchor Brewing, which opened in 1896 in San Francisco, due to financial issues and a decline in sales, which began in 2016. The news followed a controversy surrounding Sapporo buying Anchor in 2017, as multiple employees claimed that Sapporo's management was inadequate and led to the decline in sales. Whatever the exact reasoning, fans of the brewery were devastated — to the point that they formed quite the line outside of Anchor on July 30, its final day of business, in order to get one last pint from the beloved establishment, as reported by CNN.

Now there's potentially some good news for fans. As it turns out, there may be one last hope for Anchor to stay open — if another investor buys it before the liquidation process ends. According to company spokesman Sam Singer, this is a real possibility, as investors have already expressed interest.

Singer told CNN that about two dozen investors have expressed interest in buying Anchor — and thus saving the 127-year-old business from having to officially close its doors. Singer added, "[The company] remains hopeful that an investor/investor group will keep the company going for future generations. Anchor is deeply grateful to its employees and its fans for their outpouring of support and love during this difficult time."

Another party interested in buying? The Anchor employees themselves. The employee group, which is represented by Warehouse Union Local 6 ILWU has expressed interest in buying Anchor and running it as a worker co-op. In a letter written to Sapporo, the employee group stated, "All we want is a fair shot at being able to continue to do our jobs, make the beer we love, and keep this historic institution open. We do not want the brewery and brand we love to be sold off before we even had a chance."

If Anchor is ultimately sold to an investor, it would not be the first time that it was bought as a way to save it from closing — in 1965, Fritz Maytag bought the company as it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Here's hoping the historic brewery finds a way to keep its doors open — and San Francisco beer lovers happy.