Somebody walked into an Anheuser-Busch distribution center in Montclair, California last week, said the right words to the right person, and drove off with a semi-load of Pabst Blue Ribbon. No broken glass, no masked men, no hijacked rig on a highway like a Hollywood movie. Just paperwork that looked real enough to work.
Here’s what actually happened, because it seems the folks that only read headlines have a skewed version of what could be the biggest beer theft in history.
Two beer pick-ups, one warehouse
On Monday, Aug. 17, two separate cargo pickups went out from the Anheuser-Busch facility at 4545 Brooks Street -about 35 miles east of downtown LA and neither made it to their destination.
Around 10 a.m., a shipment worth roughly $45,000 headed for Tucson disappeared. About an hour later, a company that had no business picking up anything beer or otherwise, used fake documentation to walk out with another $25,000 in Anheuser-Busch and PBR product, this one reportedly bound for San Diego. Montclair PD says the paperwork from both pickups shared enough odd overlaps including trucking company, driver info, vehicle details Investigators are now working the theory it was the same operation running the same play twice in one morning.
Combined value: about $70,000. As of Aug. 31, there are no suspects and nothing has been recovered.
The 40,000-pound number, explained
Most of the coverage has repeated “40,000 pounds of beer,” which is the San Diego-bound haul, the one Pabst has actually made public. A police report cited by the Los Angeles Times breaks it down to the case:
| Product | Pack-out | Cases | Cans |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBR | 15-packs, 25-oz cans | 860 | 12,900 |
| PBR | 30-packs, 12-oz cans | 546 | 16,380 |
| Old Milwaukee N/A | 24-packs, 12-oz cans | 196 | 4,704 |
| Total | 1,602 | 33,984 |
That’s 145 barrels, roughly 4,500 gallons, and a beer-only weight around 39,264 pounds – about 40,049 with pallets and separators factored in. Not 50,000 cans, but headlines are headlines.
Beer Theft. Not Truck Theft.
The stolen truck isn’t a stolen truck. Headline: “PBR truck stolen” isn’t accurate. Nobody stole a truck. Pabst doesn’t own the truck. What happened is what the FBI would call strategic cargo theft. Someone posed as the legitimate carrier scheduled to pick up the beer, and the warehouse handed it over because the documents checked out. California accounted for roughly a third of all reported U.S. cargo theft in Q2 2026, per reporting tied to this case, so this isn’t exactly rare. It’s just this time, it’s beer.
Montclair PD had to say this publicly, in writing, after Pabst’s own social posts framed it as a stolen truck: “We are working this case, but no trucks were stolen. Just the cargo.” Pabst has since walked that language back too.
Pabst’s response is very Pabst.
Pabst went public with the theft even before police did with an Instagram post on Aug. 21-22 announcing “STOLEN – 40,000lbs of beer” over a photo of a PBR truck the company admits isn’t even the actual truck, “because we can’t find that one.” Then came the marketing fun: a return window of exactly 18 days and 44 minutes, a nod to the brewery’s 1844 founding, with no questions asked, plus an undisclosed reward. CBS Los Angeles has reported that reward could be worth half the beer’s value if it comes back safe, though Pabst seemingly hasn’t confirmed that amount.
PBR doing PBR stuff.
As of August 31st
Montclair PD is still working it. No arrests, no recovered product, and the department didn’t put out its own statement until more than a week after the theft, but Pabst got there first. Anyone with information on the incidents, the vehicles, the driver, or the delivery company involved is asked to call the tip line at 909-621-4771.
Either way, a lot of beer is missing and the thief or thieves might be too drunk to care at this point.
Figures reflect public reporting as of Aug. 31, 2026. Investigation ongoing.
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Terrapin Beer Co. will stop brewing at its longtime Athens, Georgia facility on September 25, 2026. The parent company Tilray Brands is unveiling a sweeping corporate restructuring plan disclosed in its annual report filed July 28. The longtime home at Newton Bridge Road site isn’t fully closing – the taproom, beer garden, warehouse, and repack operations will all continue running. The full-scale operations that Terrapin has been running since 2007 at their current location will cease.
Terrapin will no longer be brewed in Athens, Georgia. This is part of Project 420, a business optimization plan aimed at consolidating brewing capacity and streamlining operations. Redhook, Atwater, Hop Valley, and Revolver have also been named in the consolidation push.
John & Spike & Terrapin History
Terrapin was founded in Athens in 2002 by Brian “Spike” Buckowski and John Cochran, taking its name from the Grateful Dead’s Terrapin Station. Music was always part of Terrapins identity. Rye Pale Ale took Great American Beer Festival Gold, and later Hopsecutioner IPA rose to flagship status.
Molson Coors took a majority stake in 2016 through its Tenth and Blake craft division, cutting Terrapin’s “craft” status with the Brewer’s Association. It also meant for the first time since their founding, Terrapin wasn’t pouring at famed Decatur, Georgia beer bar, Brick Store Pub. That ownership lasted until September 2024, when Tilray Brands acquired Terrapin along with Hop Valley, Revolver, and Atwater from Molson Coors in a single transaction. Tilray was already known to Georgia – owning SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta. Over time, founders Spike and John, along with CEO Dustin Watts departed the company.
Tilray hasn’t made a public press release about this optimization move. Layoffs have already begun at Terrapin as the business model shifts.
Beer Street Journal will continue following this story. For the latest on taproom hours and events, check Terrapin’s official channels directly, as details can shift during a transition like this.
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Buckminster Fuller (American architect) described a trim tab as the tiny rudder on a ship’s rudder – a small mechanism that, when turned, can change the course of even the largest vessel. TrimTab Brewing took that metaphor and made it their founding principle. For the last 13 years, the brewery at 2721 5th Ave S operated exactly that way, changing the direction of Birmingham, Alabama craft beer.
TrimTab has announced its Tasting Gallery will permanently close on July 4, 2026.
“Our Tasting Gallery has been more than just a place to enjoy beer,” the brewery wrote. “It has been a living room for the community, a gallery for local artists, a stage for live music, and an inclusive space to bring people together.”
The closure didn’t arrive without warning. In late 2024, TrimTab announced acquisition talks with Cahaba Brewing, and if the the timeline holds, the Tasting Gallery would be done by the end of 2025. When it didn’t close, there were talks of a capital raise. But now, July 4 is bringing the final answer.
The beers live on for now.
TrimTab IPA and Paradise Now are expected to continue in select markets, but the production arrangement is vauge. A brewery’s craft beers outliving their taproom isn’t rare these days. I guess it depends on whether you would rather have the beer or the ambiance.
Below: Beer Street Journal video shot with Will Crenshaw, a brewer previously from SweetWater in Atlanta, talking about his role at TrimTab and the future production facility. Circa 2013.
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What is America’s 250th Anniversary without Pabst Blue Ribbon throwing down something for the celebration? Today, Pabst Blue Ribbon has declared themselves (officially or unofficially) the most American beer in America. In honor of that announcement, as well as the 250 – introducing the 250 ounce pack.
Each pack contains ten 25oz cans, that’s 250 ounces of PBR for the mathematical inclined – packaged in a “bespoke firework and bad-ass soaring eagle design” package.
The 250oz pack comes with a full declaration as well, with a subtle dig at another larger brewery:
- Pabst doesn’t have to release an American flag can to celebrate America’s 250th. It has always been red, white and blue.
- According to folklore, Pabst bestowed this great nation with its first six-pack in the 1940s.
- Cracking a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon resembles the sound of a V8 engine.
- Of all the Blue Ribbons in America, Pabst’s is the one you think of first.
In the past, Pabst has released the 1776 Pack containing 1,776 beers for July 4th, followed the next year with the 1884 Pack, a full 68 more than the previous year – celebrating the year the brewery was founded.
These Freed Packs are limited to 4,000 packs nationwide alongside new “Most American” merch at MostAmerican.beer
If you missed it last year, you’ve got another shot tomorrow. The 14th Anniversary Party kicks off at 11 a.m. and runs until 11 p.m. at the same taproom. Expect more of what made last year’s event great—special releases, throwback beers, music, food, and that unmistakable 3 Sheeps energy.
14th Anniversary Party Details Tomorrow, Saturday, May 30th, 3 Sheeps Brewing is throwing their 14th Anniversary Party at their taproom located at 1837 North Ave, Sheboygan. The celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Expect special beer releases, throwback pours, live music, food vendors, and the usual great people at 3 Sheeps and the drinking Sheboygan loyal.
Whether you made it last year or not, this is one of the best brewery parties in Wisconsin.
See y’all soon – Reid
]]>Livin’ Salty is a Continue Reading →]]>
Livin’ Salty is a salt and lime lager brewed with real limes and salt, clocking in at 5% ABV. It’s highly sessionable, screams warm-weather, and aligns with a massive audience that already self-identifies as water-obsessed and outdoorsy.
Water, the outdoors, and SweetWater Brewing have always been best friends. The brewery has worked with Waterkeeper Alliance, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, and Trout Unlimited. Salt Life has been expanding beyond apparel into home and lifestyle products, so adding a co-branded craft beer from the Southeast’s biggest brewery is a natural extension of that push.
SweetWater Livin’ Salty is available in 6-packs, 15-packs, and on tap at the SweetWater Taproom in Atlanta, and also at Salt Life Food Shacks.
Style: Lager (w/ Limes. Salt.)
Hops: Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Crystal hops
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: Late April/May, 2026
5% ABV
]]>Angry Chair Brewing, the South Seminole Heights institution has been put up for sale. The BizBuySell listing, which surfaced publicly the week of April 23, 2026 is offering Continue Reading →]]>
Angry Chair Brewing, the South Seminole Heights institution has been put up for sale. The BizBuySell listing, which surfaced publicly the week of April 23, 2026 is offering the business as a turnkey acquisition at an asking price of $3 million.
The sale covers the business, not the real estate. According to the post, the $3 million asking price includes brewing and kitchen equipment, packaging facilities, the Angry Chair brand and recipes, and all furniture, fixtures, and equipment (valued at approximately $1 million). The sale also ncludes hands-on training for new ownership on brewing processes and taproom operations.
Inventory, valued at around $50,000, is not included in the sale price, but presumably could be acquired as well.
Angry Chair operates out of a 14,300-square-foot space at 4101 N. Florida Ave. The current lease runs through January 2027 at $25,000 per month. That is not part of this transaction, so potential buyer could relocate the brewery completely.
The listing reports approximately $1.5 million in annual revenue and a staff of 13- eight full-time, five part-time.
Angry Chair opened in 2013, with the taproom following in 2014. No timeline has been disclosed for the sale process. Until ownership transfers, or the listing comes down, Angry Chair is operating normally.
This is a developing story.
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On Continue Reading →]]>
On Saturday night, authorities say 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton armed with guns and knives and opened fire before being subdued by Secret Service agents. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several cabinet members were evacuated from the venue.
Hours later, Minocqua Brewing Company of Minocqua, Wisconsin posted to its Facebook page: “Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle. We’ll never know. Regardless, we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens.”
The post has since been deleted but appears on Threads.
The message references a long-running promotion the brewery has called “Free Beer Day” — a standing offer of complimentary drinks at its taproom locations on the day President Trump dies. The brewery has sold merchandise tied to the concept, including a t-shirt reading “I wish it was Free Beer Day at Minocqua Brewing Company” featuring a red necktie widely associated with Trump.
Minocqua Brewing Company is owned and operated by Kirk Bangstad, who also founded the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, a political action committee that has raised over two million dollars supporting Democratic candidates and causes in Wisconsin. Bangstad ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly and has previously attempted to block Trump from appearing on Wisconsin’s 2024 presidential ballot.
The brewery’s social media accounts have drawn repeated complaints in recent months. In January, an earlier version of the “Free Beer Day” post prompted the U.S. Secret Service to issue a statement: “The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the social media post by the Minocqua Brewing Company. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
Reaction to Saturday’s post spread rapidly on social media, with criticism coming from across the political spectrum. Observers who identified themselves as politically left of center were among those expressing discomfort with the message’s timing and tone, noting that celebrating a violent incident — regardless of the target — crosses a line.
Beer Street Journal reached out to Minocqua Brewing Company for comment. This story will be updated if a response is received.
Bangstad has previously defended the Free Beer Day concept publicly.
The brewery operates taprooms in Minocqua and Madison, Wisconsin andand ships direct to consumers nationally.
This year’s release is actually two releases, both are vermouth-inspired lambic blends made Continue Reading →]]>
This year’s release is actually two releases, both are vermouth-inspired lambic blends made in collaboration with Vermouth Sullivan, a small craft vermouth producer out of Besançon, France. Both clock in around 7% ABV.
Artémis La Blanche pairs a two-year-old Cantillon lambic with a dry white vermouth-style elixir built from gentian, coriander, rhubarb root, juniper, sage, angelica, wormwood, and a handful of other herbs and roots. Think earthy, tart, and citrusy with a Negroni-like herbal edge cutting through the classic lambic funk.
Artémis La Rouge takes Cantillon Kriek and blends it with a sweeter red vermouth-style elixir — verbena, marjoram, rose, apple, curry plant, wormwood — leaning fruitier and more aromatic, with the cherry base doing most of the heavy lifting before the botanicals arrive.
It’s a bold direction for a series that has always used Zwanze Day as permission to experiment. Which brings us back to 2019.
On September 28, 2019, Brick Store Pub in Decatur was one of those select venues (as they are again today.)
That year’s Zwanze was one of the was also really intriguing – A smoked lambic that was tapping more into historical flavor profiles, beyond being a another great damn beer release. Cantillon swapped 15% of the traditional malted barley for smoked malt, a nod to the reality that centuries ago, before modern kilning, virtually all beer would most likely have carried some smokiness from wood-dried grains. The brew dated back to March 2016, spending two years in barrel before being blended and kegged for its worldwide release.
The resulting beer walked a careful line. The smokiness was deliberate but restrained – showing up more on the palate than overwhelming your senses like a rauchbier might. It was the most presumably historically accurate gueuze you could pour, reminding you that this is most likely what this beer tasted like centuries ago.
Below, photos from Zwanze Day 2019 at Brick Store Pub in Decatur, Georgia.
]]>Stone Brewing is changing hands again. Four years after their last sale, the San Diego-area brewery is moving to a new owner, and this time it looks to actually put the “craft” back in the brewery.
Stone Brewing was founded in 1996 by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in Southern California. Koch in particular was always preaching about independence, especially when it came to craft beer. Stone’s beers matched the attitude. Arrogant Bastard wasn’t just a beer name. It was a position statement. Stone’s entire brand identity was independence, “don’t drink cheap yellow fizzy beer”, and never sell out.
Then came 2022.
In June of that year, Stone announced it was being acquired by Sapporo U.S.A., the American arm of Japan’s Sapporo Breweries. The deal closed by late summer for approximately $165 to $168 million. Koch and Wagner stepped down as part of the transaction.
The Sapporo Chapter didn’t go as planned
Sapporo’s strategy for Stone was straightforward on paper. They weren’t buying Stone for its IPAs. They were buying two breweries – the flagship in Escondido, California and the production facility in Richmond, Virginia – and the brewing capacity that came with them.
It’s almost insane to think this “fusion of cultures” that was Sapporo-Stone Brewing is already over. The Japanese giant poured $60 million into expansions at the Escondido, California, and Richmond, Virginia, facilities. Capacities were pushed to 700,000 barrels, and Sapporo was being produced stateside.
In January 2025 Sapporo recorded a $91 million impairment charge on the goodwill from the deal – essentially admitting the brand hadn’t delivered the returns projected. The success this deal was supposed to be still didn’t make sense has we sit here drinking in 2026.
The Belgians take over
Now, Sapporo has announced it is selling Stone’s brand, IP, and hospitality assets to Duvel Moortgat USA, with production shifting away from Richmond and eventually Escondido.
Duvel Moortgat is well known in the beer world. Besides the famed Duvel beer itself, Duvel Moortgat owns Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, and probably most famously stateside -Firestone Walker, acquired in 2015.
This could be a good turning point for Stone. Firestone Walker is one of the most respected craft breweries in the country. Great beer, loyal following, strong identity. Firestone Walker was already great before 2015, and only gotten better since joining team Duvel. The same can be said for Boulevard and Ommegang.
Duvel is in it for great beer. Sapporo was in it for production space and stateside numbers. It should have been this way all along.
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