Pabst Blue Ribbon is searching for roughly 40,000lbs of stolen beer after thieves used fake documentation to pose as a transport company and drive off with two shipments worth around $70,000.
The theft happened on August 17, 2026, at an Anheuser-Busch distribution center in Montclair, California.
A very specific deadline
According to the Montclair Police Department, a fake subcontractor picked up a $45,000 shipment bound for Tucson at 10am.
An hour later, the same operation returned to collect a second load worth $25,000 using more fraudulent paperwork.
The missing haul equates to roughly 5,000 gallons of beer, including hundreds of cases of PBR in both 12oz and 25oz formats, along with Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic.
Pabst first addressed the theft with characteristic humor. “Beer is getting warmer, trail is getting colder,” one post read. “Clock’s still ticking. If you think you saw our truck, snap a photo and tag us.”
A spokesperson told Whiskey Riff: “We hope that whoever managed to steal our truck also knows the importance of keeping beer cold.”
The brand then confirmed the situation was real after some assumed it was a marketing stunt. “To clear up the confusion, this story is real,” it wrote on Instagram. “P.S. this is real and we are deadly serious.”
It went on to address the thieves directly, setting a deadline of 18 days and 44 minutes for a no-questions-asked return. “We don’t fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have, we just wish you obtained it the honorable way.”
Anyone with information is being urged to contact Montclair Police at 909-621-4771.
Pabst has leaned into playful marketing moments before. Earlier this year, it teamed up with Godzilla for a gigantic 99-pack of beer featuring artwork of Toho’s most famous monsters.
