A truck loaded with 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer disappeared in California, with police saying the missing shipment may be tied to a bold cargo-theft scheme that allegedly swiped about $70,000 worth of alcohol in one morning.
Pabst Blue Ribbon confirmed that both its truck and beer shipment had been stolen, sending a pointed message to whoever was behind it: the company understood the urge to boast about possessing that much PBR, but said it wished they had obtained it “the honorable way.”
The brewer then set a deadline for the alleged thief, giving them exactly 18 days and 44 minutes to bring the truck back with no questions asked.
Pabst Blue Ribbon shared a social media post asking for help locating its missing beer truck. (@pabstblueribbon via Instagram)
Pabst also announced that a reward would be available for anyone who helps solve the case, although it did not reveal the amount or explain the reason behind the unusually specific deadline.
The brand later issued a second post to squash doubts that the bizarre disappearance was a marketing stunt.
“To clear up the confusion, this story is real,” Pabst wrote, urging anyone with information that could help solve the case to send a direct message.
As the deadline ticked down, the company warned that the “beer is getting warmer” while the trail gets 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 Media reached out to Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Montclair Police Department for comment.