MillerCoors, Pabst, Settle Lawsuit

CHICAGO, IL — MillerCoors and Pabst settled a lawsuit Wednesday after a two-week trial in Milwaukee County Circuit court. The brewing contract dispute threatened to halt production of Pabst Blue Ribbon. The settlement was reached as jurors ended their second day of deliberations.

Neither company disclosed the details of the settlement, but MillerCoors said all outstanding issues have been resolved.

For nearly two decades, MillerCoors has been brewing Pabst's Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee, Lone Star and Natty Boh beers. The two companies signed a brewing agreement in 1999 that's set to expire in 2020, with two options to renew for five-year extensions.

Pabst said that without a renewal of the agreement, it would likely have to stop producing many of its brands.

The suit claimed MillerCoors was trying to drive its competition out of business, and sought more than $400 million in damages. The suit also asked that MillerCoors work "in good faith" to help find a solution.

MillerCoors said it wasn't obligated to renew the deal, and didn't have the capacity to keep brewing the Pabst beers. MillerCoors closed a brewery in North Carolina in 2016, and has previously said that it may have to shut down a brewery in California.

While neither company released details about the nature of the settlement, a Pabst spokesperson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that its Blue Ribbon brand will continue to be produced for "many, many years to come."

By Amber Fisher, Patch Staff

Image via Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images News

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