Federal label approvals for Anchor Steam and Old Foghorn using original artwork signal progress toward reopening the historic San Francisco brewery under new ownership.

The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has approved new labels for Anchor Steam Beer and Old Foghorn Barleywine Ale, both featuring the original illustrated art by Jim Stitt that defined the brand for decades. The approvals, confirmed in July 2026, reverse the controversial modern rebrand that the brewery adopted in 2021 under previous owner Sapporo.

The label move follows the May 2024 acquisition of Anchor Brewing assets by Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani, through his family office Shepherd Futures. Ulukaya pledged to revive the iconic San Francisco brewery, which closed in 2023 after 127 years of operation at its Potrero Hill facility.

The label approvals come alongside other concrete steps toward reopening. A fictitious business name filing dated May 1, 2026, registered "Anchor Brewing Company" at 1705 Mariposa Street under Potrero Hill SF Brewing LLC, a New York entity tied to Ulukaya's ownership. The brewery's California ABC production permit was obtained in February 2025.

Former Anchor employees have reported activity at the Mariposa Street facility, with lights on inside and loading dock doors open in late June. Patrick Costello, a former Anchor brewery worker, noted that reverting to the classic labels makes sense given the backlash to the 2021 redesign. "It really was one of the nails in the coffin for us," Costello told KQED.

No reopening date has been announced, but the label approvals mark the most visible sign yet that production at the historic brewery may resume. The original Jim Stitt artwork, featuring anchor emblems and vintage fonts recalling San Francisco's port shipping heritage, had been a cornerstone of Anchor's identity since the 1960s.