The Great PBR Beer Heist of 2026 continues.
It’s one of the biggest beer heists the world has ever seen, and it’s the latest example of a concerning trend that’s called “cargo theft.” Pabst Blue Ribbon is frantically searching for an estimated $70,000 worth of their inventory after falling victim to two separate “heists.”
First, an entire beer delivery truck went missing as it was traveling to San Diego, California. The truckload of beer was last seen in Montclair, and PBR has done all they can to make the public aware of the thievery… and even offered up a reward to anyone who can help:
“STOLEN – 40,000lbs of beer. To the thief: 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. Pabst is officially starting the clock now – you have exactly 18 days and 44 minutes to return our truck, no questions asked. Leading up to that time, we will be offering a reward to anyone who can help us solve this mystery.”
Here’s how much beer was in the truck:
-546 cases of PBR 30/12 oz Cans
-860 cases of PBR 15/25 oz Cans
-196 cases of Old Milwaukee 24/12 oz Cans
That’s a whole lot of beer that’s basically vanished without a trace (just shy of 5,000 gallons of beer actually).
And that wasn’t the only PBR that was stolen that day. About an hour after that now missing truck left a Southern California warehouse, another cargo theft occurred – and Pabst Blue Ribbon was the victim of that one as well. According to police reports, a “purported subcontracting company” provided fake documents that allowed them to drive off with another $25,000 in beer.
The Montclair Police have reason to believe that both incidents are connected, and were likely conducted by the same group of theives:
“Investigators identified similarities between the two incidents and are investigating whether they were committed as part of the same fraudulent cargo theft operation.”
What a shame.
You might be sitting there wondering how you can help. Well, if you live in the Southern California area, or somewhere near it, keep your eyes peeled for the missing Pabst Blue Ribbon truck. And pray that all of that beer is either returned to PBR, or at the very least doesn’t go to waste.
The CEO of PBR, Greig DeBow, issued this statement about the company’s missing beer, and says they are offering $20,000 to anyone who has any information about the PBRs that are M.I.A.:
“As many of you know, a great deal of PBR has gone missing…That’s actually not cool though. We want it back. We’re going to offer up a $20,000 reward for any new information leading to the lost goods. It’s that simple. There has been a hell of a lot of support thus far, and we really appreciate it.”
@pabstblueribbonThis has gotten so out of hand, we had to ask our CEO to make an official statement. LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Any new information provided prior to the September 9th deadline that leads to the successful recovery of the stolen PBR will be eligible for up to $5,000. After the September 9th deadline, the reward will be up to $20,000. Please email [email protected] or DM us if you have any information.
What a no good, very bad week it’s been for PBR. Though they are at least having some fun with it on social media, what the beer brand is dealing with has impacted a lot of distributors in the past couple of years. “Cargo theft” is a real problem, and PBR is just the latest to have to deal with the headache.
I”m sure the higher ups at PBR would love to try to ease the pain by kicking back and having a beer… but how could you enjoy a cold beer when you know $70,000 of your own are out there unaccounted for?
