Anchor Brewing to open new public Potrero Hill bar, Anchor Public Taps, on Saturday

Anchor Brewing Company will soon open Anchor Public Taps, its first public taproom since before Prohibition. Anchor Brewing Company will soon open Anchor Public Taps, its first public taproom since before Prohibition. Photo: Photo By Erin Conger Photo: Photo By Erin Conger Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Anchor Brewing to open new public Potrero Hill bar, Anchor Public Taps, on Saturday 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Anchor Brewing Company will open its long-awaited public bar, called Anchor Public Taps, this Saturday, October 21, in a building on De Haro Street, adjacent to its Potrero Hill brewhouse. It's the brewery's first year-round space open to the public without appointment since Prohibition.

Anchor was acquired by the Japanese brewing company Sapporo in August, but its management has publicly promised to maintain its roots in the Bay and keep its production in San Francisco; within the new space that vow comes in the form of nodding to the aesthetics of its classic copper brewhouse and by paying homage to Fritz Maytag, the brewery's longtime owner.

Positioned above the hammered copper bar sits a large (and apparently very heavy) copper-plated anchor designed by San Francisco artist Katie Gong. In another corner of the room is a massive collection of hundreds of vintage beer cans owned by Maytag. Empty brown Steam beer bottles decorate a room divider, and metallic copper chairs are dispersed around the room.

But the bar is also positioned as a site of innovation for the historic company. Another exposed portion of the room houses the company's 7-barrel pilot brewery, called the Potrero Project, where brewers will work on experimental beers in small batches reserved for bar-only pours. Keeping up with modern trends, food trucks will also be onsite regularly outside next to its patio.

Anchor had initially planned to open a taproom inside a building at Pier 48 in Mission Rock in 2016, but seismic issues and other complications were rumored to have delayed the project indefinitely. The brewery, however, says a plan for that building is still in the works. Anchor also currently runs a seasonal outdoor beer garden at The Yard, across from AT&T Park in SoMa.

Beginning Saturday, Anchor Public Taps, at 495 De Haro Street in San Francisco, will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is family- and dog-friendly.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

