British police are investigating the theft of approximately 70,000 pints of Guinness stout, a significant haul valued at 115,000 pounds (about $155,000). The beer was stolen from a depot near Liverpool in northwest England.
Cheshire Constabulary reported that two trailer truckloads of the dark beer, contained in roughly 800 barrels, were taken Monday night. The perpetrators, posing as drivers, arrived at an industrial park in Runcorn and loaded the trailers, the value of which was estimated separately at 50,000 pounds ($67,000).
Det. Sgt. Gary McClatchy of the Cheshire Constabulary emphasized the unique nature of the crime, stating, “It is famously said that ‘Guinness is good for you,’ but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for. We will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen."
The theft follows a similar, though smaller, beer heist in the United States weeks prior, where approximately 34,000 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon were stolen from a Southern California warehouse. That theft, valued at $70,000, gained public attention due to the brewer's lighthearted social media commentary on the incident.