http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4gr ... gD8T7U7C82
Dublin Beer Bandit Raids Guinness
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) ? Irish police were hunting for a beer bandit who stole 450 full kegs from the Guinness brewery ? the largest heist ever at Ireland's largest brewer.
National police said a lone man drove into the brewery ? a Dublin landmark and top tourist attraction ? on Wednesday and hitched his truck to a fully loaded trailer awaiting delivery to city pubs.
Diageo PLC, the beverage company that owns Guinness, said the brewery had never suffered such a large-scale theft before in its 248-year history.
Police said the raider took 180 kegs of Guinness stout, 180 kegs of U.S. lager Budweiser and 90 kegs of Danish beer Carlsberg. Guinness brews both of those foreign brands under license for sale in Ireland.
Police declined to say whether the theft had been captured by closed-circuit surveillance cameras. No description of the suspect was issued, suggesting that nobody got a good look at him.
Each keg holds about 88 British-sized pints, the most common serving size in Ireland, equivalent to 20 ounces each. The total theft involves 39,600 pints with a retail value exceeding $235,000.
Police said it would be difficult for the thief to sell the stolen beer without attracting attention, unless he has criminal associates who own a network of pubs.
But customs agents say it is common for pubs to sell stolen or smuggled cigarettes and alcohol, particularly counterfeit-labeled supplies of vodka, to avoid paying hefty taxes.
In the past, the outlawed Irish Republican Army and other gangs have hijacked truck shipments of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes for resale in pubs run by sympathizers or friends. Those raids typically happen in rural areas, never in the center of Dublin.
The Republic of Ireland, a country of 4.2 million, has more than 10,000 pubs and bars. The Guinness brewery in Dublin is the biggest supplier, producing more than 5 million kegs annually.
Dublin Beer Bandit Raids Guinness
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Greenblood
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Dublin Beer Bandit Raids Guinness
Cheers!
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
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Greenblood
- Brewmaster
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:22 pm
- Location: Lawrence
I didn't know that Guinness brewed Budweiser in Dublin. I always assumed that it was exported from the states. I wonder if it tastes any better in Ireland. 
Cheers!
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
There is a third option they didn't seem to take into consideration -- this thief is Irish afterall -- he could just be planning to drink it all himself. 
And I had heard that Guinness started making Budweiser, but I couldn't believe it was as popular as the black. Not with all the good lager that country produces. There were just as many Bud kegs as Guinness kegs on that trailer. How sad!
Now, it would be hilarious if the thief kept the Guinness and used the Bud to fill a public fountain somewhere in Dublin. Now that would be a story.
And I had heard that Guinness started making Budweiser, but I couldn't believe it was as popular as the black. Not with all the good lager that country produces. There were just as many Bud kegs as Guinness kegs on that trailer. How sad!
Now, it would be hilarious if the thief kept the Guinness and used the Bud to fill a public fountain somewhere in Dublin. Now that would be a story.
Matt Bechtold
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Subliminal marketing, my friends. I can't explain it any other way. I was just as surprised to hear that the young generation in Russia prefers Miller Lite to Budweiser, which in turn is preferred to many other European beers. It's the hip drink for the young masses down there, even with the proximity of all the traditional European breweries, as well as the Russian brewing tradition. It is certainly sad to see the lowest common denominator prevail in various aspects of modern culture.
