Pabst Brewing Company CEO Greig DeBow is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the recovery of 1,602 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) that were stolen from a warehouse in Montclair, California, on Aug. 17.
DeBow announced the reward in a video posted to TikTok, directly addressing the thieves and urging them to return the beer. "We want it by September 9th," he stated, adding that if the beer is not returned, the company will offer the reward for any new information that leads to its recovery.
Pabst is calling the incident the "Great American Beer Heist." The stolen shipment, weighing approximately 40,000 pounds, disappeared from a warehouse, marking a significant cargo theft.
The company initially gave those who took the beer 18 days and 44 minutes to return it with "no questions asked," a deadline that appeared to reference the year 1844, when Pabst was founded.
Pabst has emphasized that the incident is not a publicity stunt and that the disappearance is real, urging anyone with information to come forward.
Police Investigation
Montclair police are investigating the theft, which they believe may be connected to another cargo theft reported on the same day at an Anheuser-Busch distribution center. In the first reported incident, a shipment valued at approximately $45,000 bound for Tucson, Arizona, never reached its destination. Shortly after, a company posing as a subcontractor used fraudulent paperwork to pick up roughly $25,000 worth of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products.
Investigators found discrepancies in the trucking company information, drivers, and vehicles involved in both pickups, suggesting they could be part of the same fraudulent cargo theft operation. The total value of the missing cargo is estimated at $70,000.
Those with new information that could help locate the stolen beer are asked to contact Pabst at [email protected]. Montclair police are also seeking information regarding the thefts, vehicles, drivers, or the delivery company and can be reached at 909-621-4771.