Fritz Maytag
| Frederick Louis Maytag III | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 9, 1937 Newton, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman, brewing magnate, viticulturist |
| Employer |
Anchor Brewing Company Maytag Dairy Farms York Creek Vineyards |
| Parent(s) | Frederick Louis Maytag II |
| Relatives | Frederick Louis Maytag I, great-grandfather |
Frederick Louis "Fritz" Maytag III (born December 9, 1937 in Newton, Iowa) is the former owner of Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco and is Chairman of the Board of the Maytag Dairy Farms (maker of Maytag Blue cheese). He is also the owner of York Creek Vineyards in St. Helena, California. His revival of Anchor Steam beer inspired many other brewers to follow, and he is often considered the father of modern microbreweries.[1]
Biography
Maytag is the great-grandson of Maytag Corporation founder Frederick Louis Maytag I and son of Maytag Dairy Farms founder Frederick Louis Maytag II. He is a graduate of Deerfield Academy (1955) and Stanford University (1959).
In its April 2005 article "26 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs", Inc. magazine named Maytag seventh-most fascinating "for setting limits".
Maytag won the 2008 James Beard Foundation's Lifetime Achievement award for his work at Anchor Brewing.
Anchor Brewing Company
Hearing that the Anchor Brewing Company was about to close and looking for something serious to do with his life, Maytag bought the company in 1965 and made it his mission. Anchor had produced characterful local beer, but it frequently became contaminated, which turned it sour, through the 1950s and into the '60s.[2] To revive the company, Maytag altered the recipe and the brewing process, and the beer soon surged in popularity. The brewery, once located on the upper floors of a building in what is presently San Francisco's Design District, moved, in 1979, to a new location nearby at the base of Potrero Hill; and, throughout the coming years, demand continued to climb. Not wanting to sacrifice the small size of the brewery, and, in turn, the quality of the beer, Maytag helped competitors become proficient in microbrewing. This helped to ease the strain on his own company.
In 2010, Maytag sold the brewery to its current owners.
References
- ↑ Tom Abate (2010-04-27). "Anchor Brewing Co. sold to Greggor, Foglio". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ↑ Maureen Cole, Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer
External links
- Anchor Brewing Company
- Maytag Dairy Farms
- Of grape and grain, article in the San Francisco Chronicle (January 29, 2004)
- 26 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs, Inc. Magazine, April 2005
- 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards