The thefts took place on August 17, when around 34,000 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and nonalcoholic Old Milwaukee were taken|Hoehooyan Yeun|CC BY-SA 4.0
A truckload of beer vanished from a Southern California warehouse last month after thieves pulled off two quick scams on the same day.
The thefts took place August 17 at a distribution center in Montclair, where around 34,000 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and nonalcoholic Old Milwaukee were taken. Police put the total value at about $70,000.
The first shipment, worth roughly $45,000, was supposed to travel to Tucson, Arizona. Someone collected the beer, but it never arrived.
Just an hour later, another person arrived with paperwork claiming to represent a subcontracting company. Police said the documents were fake, and the suspect left with another $25,000 shipment.
Police are now checking whether both thefts were part of the same operation.
Though a serious matter, Pabst turned the stolen cargo into a publicity stunt this week, putting up a $20,000 reward for information.
The larger maker is following KitKat’s lead, which turned the theft of 400,000+ candy bars into a viral campaign featuring a “Stolen KitKat Tracker.” The campaign won a Cannes Lions award this summer.