The team behind Narragansett Beer isn’t giving up on Anchor Brewing Company just yet. The Rhode Island-based brewery launched a Change.org petition on July 14 to prevent the closure of the California business. Anchor, which was acquired by Sapporo USA in 2017, recently announced that it will cease operations and liquidate the business.
At the time of this story’s publication, the petition has over 4,000 signatures. Its organizers say they’re seeking to preserve the 152-year-old San Francisco institution, which is widely considered to be the country’s first craft brewery.
“By signing this petition, we are urging all beer enthusiasts, local businesses, and supporters of the craft beer industry to come together and show our unwavering support for Anchor Brewing Company,” the petition says. “Let us remind them that they are not alone in this challenging time.”
In a recent interview with Forbes, Narragansett Beer president Mark Hellendrung says that he’s uncertain about the definite impact of the online petition, but hopes it can prevent a total liquidation of the business.
“We can’t anticipate where this petition will lead, since we don’t know what Sapporo is doing,” Hellendrung told Forbes. “But we want to be part of the conversation.”
Narragansett Beer isn’t the only Change.org user seeking to prevent the loss of Anchor. A similar petition, posted on July 13 by Change.org campaigner Benjamin Bosis, asks signees to support “creating a fund or finding a buyer” to eventually separate the brewery from Sapporo USA and launch independent operations.
“A world without Christmas Ale is basically a world without Christmas,” the petition says, referencing Anchor’s popular seasonal beer.
