Some beer companies handle all of their production in-house. For others, though, there’s the option of working with a larger contract brewer. For years, Pabst has relied upon MillerCoors to handle production of millions of gallons of Pabst Blue Ribbon and other brews — a business arrangement that’s occasionally turned fractious.
With that contract having run its course at the end of 2024, it raised the question of where the likes of PBR and Old Milwaukee might be produced next. And now, via Brewbound’s Jessica Infante, we have our answer. It’s probably not surprising to hear that one beer giant will be succeeed by another beer giant; in other words, Anheuser-Busch InBev will handle contract brewing for Pabst going forward.
In an article for VinePair, Pete O’Connell has more details on the arrangement, which is set to go into effect early this year. O’Connell notes that AB InBev isn’t the only contract brewer Pabst is currently working with; they also have an arrangement with City Brewing that was initially announced in 2019.
Head Brewer Zach Krueger on Why Pabst Decided to Launch a Craft Beer Brand
From PBR to Captain PabstLast year, Pabst celebrated its 180th birthday by releasing a celebratory 180-pack of beer that retailed for around $95. That isn’t the only eye-opening offering from the brewery in question; in 2023. Pabst also released a THC-infused seltzer (notably, not a hard seltzer) for sale in California. That’s part of the company’s Pabst Labs initiative, which seems designed to broaden the company’s appeal.
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