Is Pabst Blue Ribbon Going Away?

Most beer drinkers have a go-to beer. Some, if not most, will explore and try different beers from time to time, but they usually end up going back to that old faithful can or bottle that they have loved for years.

According to Wikipedia, Pabst Blue Ribbon was introduced in 1844. And according to The Takeout, it might be going away in 2020.

Here's the story. Pabst has a contract brewing deal with MillerCoors where that company brews, packages, and ships its beer. Small brewing companies like Pabst cannot afford the infrastructure to do it themselves. The current contract between Pabst and MillerCoors, which started in 1999, will run out in December of 2020. (Keep scrolling for more.)

According to the Associated Press, MillerCoors says they'll only renew it for almost triple the price. Pabst is now suing  MillerCoors to keep their contract deal saying that MillerCoors is trying to extort them to push them out of business so they can grab a bigger market share.

The trial is taking place in Milwaukee as we speak and is scheduled to be done by the end of the month. If Pabst loses the lawsuit, there's a good chance they will end up going out of business.

According to The Associated Press, the only other company that will be able to handle Pabst's brewing, packaging and shipping needs would be Anheuser-Busch. But the Anheuser-Busch company does not do contract brewing.

Like I said on the air this morning I'm not a big fan of PBR, but if I'm at a party and that's the only beer they have, I will drink it. I know if my favorite beer was to go out of business, I would be very disappointed. That's why I hope for PBR fans everywhere, an agreement will be worked out so you can enjoy your favorite beer for years to come.

[via Wikipedia / The Associated Press / The Takeout]