The hipster beer of choice is on the move. Pabst announced it will move its headquarters out of the ‘burbs of Chicago to the more trendy hills of Los Angeles. The move marks the latest attempt by the brewing company’s new owner C. Dean Metropoulos to revamp a faltering label.
It is unclear what billionaire Metropoulos’ motives behind the move are. The only two obvious reasons are that the owner’s two sons are based in Los Angeles and that the city is home to the country’s second-largest beer market, behind New York City.
It could simply be that Metropoulos is hoping a change in scenery and some west coast air might enliven a brand being hit by consumers' increasing preference for craft breweries. The same ironic t-shirt wearing imbibers reaching for a cold tall boy of PBR might start to think twice if there is a quirky-named alternative in the same price range.
Pabst owns labels like Lone Star and Colt 45 (home of the controversial highly alcoholic fruity malt beverage Blast, endorsed by one of California’s better known residents, Snoop Dogg). It is not immediately apparent if Pabst’s new Los Angeles zip code will mean a boost for local employment, but an ailing California economy will likely drink to the prospect.
