Anheuser-Busch InBev to Begin Brewing for PabstAnheuser-Busch InBev to Begin Brewing for Pabst

Pabst Brewing Co. signed a new contract brewing agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev to produce a number of its beer brands. Production will start in this financial quarter, according to a report from Brewbound.

San Antonio, TX-based Pabst, founded in 1884, has been using third-party brewers since closing its Milwaukee brewing facility in 1996. Pabst expects that the new Anheuser-Busch InBev deal will allow for greater supply chain flexibility and improved efficiencies.

Pabst's long contract with Molson Coors ended last month. Pabst Blue Ribbon, which has a rich history dating back to 1844, reached its peak in the 1970s. Currently, the company is owned by Blue Ribbon Partners, an investment platform led by American beer and beverage entrepreneur Eugene Kashper.

Pabst completed its sale to Blue Ribbon Intermediate Holdings, LLC (“Blue Ribbon”) in November 2014. Blue Ribbon is a partnership between American beer entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and San Francisco-based TSG Consumer Partners LLC (“TSG”), a leading investor in growth consumer brands.

Pabst's portfolio of beer brands includes Old Milwaukee, Old Style, Lone Star, Stroh’s, Rainier, Stag, Olympia Brewing Company, Ballantine, Blatz, and Colt 45.

Anheuser-Busch InBev injected $16M into its Los Angeles facility and $8 million into its flagship St. Louis plant, announced in October 2024.

In 2023, the beer giant laid off hundreds of employees, possibly due to the bad press it got surrounding a partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. The controvesy of the partnership had the beer giant struggling to keep its top position in the market -- which it ended up losing to Modelo.

AB InBev also sold eight of its craft beer and beverage brands to Tilray Brands, the largest cannabis company in the world. Brands in the sale included Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Company, and Hiball Energy.