A shipment containing approximately 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Milwaukee beer was taken from an Anheuser-Busch distribution center in the 4500 block of Brooks Street in Montclair, California on August 17, authorities have disclosed. The Montclair Police Department is investigating the incident as one of two similar cargo thefts that occurred at the facility that morning.
Investigators said a shipment valued at about $45,000 and bound for Tucson, Arizona, was picked up around 10 a.m. but never arrived. Approximately one hour later, “approximately $25,000 worth of Anheuser-Busch/Pabst Blue Ribbon product was obtained after a purported subcontracting company submitted fraudulent documentation to arrange the pickup,” police announced in a press release.
Investigators identified similarities between the incidents and are examining whether they formed part of the same fraudulent cargo-theft operation. “We are working this case, but no trucks were stolen. Just the cargo,” a Montclair Police spokesperson told the New York Times.
Pabst Brewing Company identified the missing load as 546 cases of PBR 30/12-ounce cans, 860 cases of PBR 15/25-ounce cans, and 196 cases of Old Milwaukee 24/12-ounce cans, all of which were bound for San Diego. Paul Myers, senior director of integrated marketing operations for Pabst, said a person posed as the authorized carrier at the time of the theft.
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A beer truck in California has vanished after leaving a distribution center this month and then missing all of its deliveries. The cargo includes more than 1,400 cases of PBR. pic.twitter.com/nkhQbs8ckc
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) August 29, 2026
“It was just a bad actor essentially who came in and pretended to be the person who was supposed to pick up the beer. It wasn’t the person who was supposed to pick up the beer, and then they drove off with it,” Myers told CBS News. The company later clarified that it does not own the truck used in the pickup.
The company later issued an ultimatum to the thieves in a social media post. “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,” Pabst Brewing Company wrote.
“We hope that whoever managed to steal our truck also knows the importance of keeping beer cold,” a company spokesperson added in a follow-up statement. “We are working with the local authorities to try and recover the stolen truck and are grateful for all their hard work.”
