May 5, 2003 -- Fritz Maytag, founder of San Francisco's pioneering craft brewery and head of the Anchor Distilling Company, was named the Hudson Valley Foie Gras Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional at the 2003 James Beard Foundation Awards handed out tonight in New York City. It is believed that this is the first time a personality so strongly identified with the brewing industry has been so honoured.

A descendent of the Maytag appliance family, and the son of the creator of the well-regarded Maytag Blue cheese, Fritz Maytag purchased a majority stake in the Anchor Brewing Company in 1965. By the 1970's, he had assumed full ownership and had launched Anchor on the road to becoming one of the most influential small breweries in American history. His contributions include the preservation of the steam beer style, a hybrid of lager and ale often referred to as the California common beer, the creation of the first modern American barley wine, and the promotion of the American cascade hop through his Anchor Liberty Ale. More recently, he has been at the forefront of the 'micro-distilling' movement with the creation of the Anchor Distilling Company and its flagship Old Potrero Whiskey.

The James Beard Foundation is an influential organization of food and beverage professionals. The Foundations prestigious awards are handed out annually and cover categories ranging from journalism to cookbooks and restaurant design to outstanding chefs.

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