A truck loaded with 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer has disappeared in California, and authorities believe the missing shipment may be tied to a bold cargo-theft scheme that swiped an estimated $70,000 worth of alcohol in one morning.
Pabst Blue Ribbon confirmed that both the truck and its beer cargo were stolen, issuing a tongue-in-cheek message to whoever was responsible: the company said it understood the urge to boast about having that much PBR, but wished they had obtained it “the honorable way.”
The brewer then gave the alleged culprit a deadline, offering 18 days and 44 minutes to bring back the truck with no questions asked.
Pabst Blue Ribbon posted on social media asking the public for help finding its missing beer truck. (@pabstblueribbon via Instagram)
Pabst said it is also offering a reward for information that helps solve the case, although the company did not reveal the amount or explain the oddly specific return window.
After the unusual story prompted speculation online, the brand followed up with another post insisting the theft was not a publicity stunt.
“To clear up the confusion, this story is real,” Pabst wrote, asking anyone with details that could help investigators track down the shipment to send the company a direct message.
With the clock still running, Pabst warned that the “beer is getting warmer” even as the trail grows colder.
It asked anyone who thinks they spotted the truck to snap a photo, tag Pabst or send a direct message with information about its whereabouts.
Montclair police are investigating two cargo thefts reported Aug. 17 at an Anheuser-Busch distribution center that investigators believe could be linked.
In the first incident, a shipment worth about $45,000 and bound for Tucson, Arizona, was picked up for delivery around 10 a.m. local time but never arrived, police said.
Montclair Police Department headquarters in California, where investigators are handling two cargo-theft reports tied to a missing Pabst Blue Ribbon beer shipment. (Montclair Police Department)
About an hour later, police said a company claiming to be a subcontractor used fraudulent paperwork to arrange the pickup of roughly $25,000 in Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products.
Investigators said the trucking-company information, driver and vehicles connected to the pickups contained discrepancies.
The cases may be part of the same fraudulent cargo-theft operation, police said.
No one has been publicly identified in connection with the case, and police have released few details about how the truck and its beer disappeared or where the load may have gone.
Investigators also have not announced any public leads, leaving open the question of whether the shipment remains intact or has already been broken up and distributed.
Police said the combined value of the missing cargo was about $70,000. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The beer brand’s comments section quickly became a keg-sized comedy club. One commenter cracked that the haul “would’ve only been 20,000lbs if it was Pabst Light,” while another asked whether the reward was all the beer in the truck.
Kit Kat’s verified account joined in, writing, “I know a thing or two about these kinds of things,” seemingly referencing a March 26 incident where a truck carrying 12 tons of limited-edition Formula 1 car-shaped KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Italy.
Another commenter offered the most likely destination for 40,000 pounds of missing beer — “Somebody’s about to have a huge house party.”
Anyone with information about the thefts, vehicles, driver, delivery company or missing cargo is asked to contact the Montclair Police Department at 909-621-4771.
News Outlet reached out to Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Montclair Police Department for comment.
