Anchor Brewing
Anchor Steam Beer
The beer that was California Common — lager yeast fermented warm in shallow open vessels — and effectively the only example of the style.
- Strength
- 4.9% ABV
- Style
- California Common
- Brewery
- Anchor Brewing
Also called Anchor Steam.
Anchor Brewing has closed. BeerHQ keeps this record because the beer remains historically important, not as a suggestion to go and buy it. Availability should be checked rather than assumed.
California common, or steam beer, is fermented with lager yeast at ale temperatures — a nineteenth-century Californian solution to brewing lager without ice. The result is fruitier than a lager and cleaner than an ale, with a distinctive minty, woody hop character.
Anchor is the beer that preserved the style, and its 1965 rescue is generally treated as the beginning of American craft brewing. Anchor ceased brewing in 2023, so its availability should not be assumed.
What it tastes like
Inherited from California Common, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 4.9% ABV — checked 2026-08-16. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Volatile — production, strength or availability are actively changing. Treat specifics as needing verification. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- The style and the beer were essentially the same thing, so the brewery’s 2023 closure put the category in question
- "Steam Beer" is a trade mark rather than a generic term, which is why the style is catalogued as California Common
It is not the same everywhere
The brewery closed in 2023. Availability, and whether the beer is currently in production at all, should be checked rather than assumed.
If you like Anchor Steam Beer
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Altbier — try Uerige Altbier
A close structural match for Anchor Steam Beer — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
Kölsch — try Gaffel Kölsch or Früh Kölsch
A close structural match for Anchor Steam Beer — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
Cream ale — try Genesee Cream Ale
A close structural match for Anchor Steam Beer — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Vienna lager — try Samuel Adams Boston Lager or Brooklyn Lager
Keeps most of what Anchor Steam Beer does and shifts herbal.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
American pale ale — try Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Little Creatures Pale Ale
Keeps most of what Anchor Steam Beer does and shifts citrus.
Different: noticeably more citrus (none–trace → moderate–high).
May not suit: Noticeably more citrus than Anchor Steam Beer.
Czech premium pale lager — try Pilsner Urquell or Budweiser Budvar
Keeps most of what Anchor Steam Beer does and shifts hop spice.
Different: noticeably more hop spice (none–trace → moderate–high).
May not suit: Noticeably more hop spice than Anchor Steam Beer.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Schwarzbier — try Köstritzer Schwarzbier
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Anchor Steam Beer.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
Dortmunder Export — try DAB Original or Augustiner Edelstoff
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Anchor Steam Beer.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Anchor Steam Beer.
English pale ale — try Bass Pale Ale
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Anchor Steam Beer.
Different: slightly less carbonation (moderate → low).
May not suit: Very close to Anchor Steam Beer; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from California Common. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
Keeping it
California Common shows best within 2–5 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.
Derived from California Common. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.