Pabst Blue Ribbon begs thieves to return 50,000 stolen cans of beer with 'no questions asked' plea

Cargo thieves stripped a full truckload of Pabst Blue Ribbon — 50,000 cans weighing 40,000 pounds — from an Anheuser-Busch distribution centre in Montclair, California on August 17 in two audacious raids. Police believe the pair of thefts, which together account for roughly $70,000 worth of beer, may be connected and part of a broader cargo theft operation. PBR took to social media with a deadline of 18 days and 44 minutes for the stolen haul to be returned, a timeframe widely interpreted as a nod to the brand's 1844 founding year. The company dangled a reward while warning that 'the beer is getting warmer' as the trail goes cold.

Police are investigating two separate thefts: one $45,000 shipment bound for Tucson that vanished in transit, and a second using fraudulent subcontractor paperwork.

PBR was forced to issue a second post insisting the story was real after followers assumed the missing-truck plea was a marketing stunt.

The heist follows 12 tons of KitKat bars going missing in Europe after thieves hijacked the truck carrying them.