Rhino
06-09-2008, 12:51 PM
Thieves cash in on beer kegs as metal prices go higher
By Joel Marino and Andrew Ba Tran | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 9, 2008
They're swapping kegs for cash and skipping the brew.
Authorities say bandits are stealing empty beer kegs from bars around Broward County, most recently striking in Weston, where 10 of the metal containers were stolen last month.
Though local police couldn't confirm where the kegs were ending up, the trend follows similar nationwide thefts where burglars go to scrap yards and trade the metal for cash.
The robberies increase as metal prices rise and the economy sours. Beer industry insiders say South Florida in particular is a keg-snatching hot spot.
"Anecdotal evidence points to a surge of thefts there," said Jeff Becker, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Beer Institute. "It's quickly become a major problem."
The most popular kegs, called full kegs or half-barrels, are made of aluminum or stainless steel. A stainless steel half-barrel is 2 feet high and weighs 29 pounds empty.
The Carolina Ale House in Weston reported 10 kegs stolen on May 28, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
A day before, police said, a man broke into the Southport Raw Bar in Fort Lauderdale and single-handedly swiped $1,000 worth of empty kegs and other equipment....http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbkegthefts0607sbjun09,0,4694800.story
By Joel Marino and Andrew Ba Tran | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 9, 2008
They're swapping kegs for cash and skipping the brew.
Authorities say bandits are stealing empty beer kegs from bars around Broward County, most recently striking in Weston, where 10 of the metal containers were stolen last month.
Though local police couldn't confirm where the kegs were ending up, the trend follows similar nationwide thefts where burglars go to scrap yards and trade the metal for cash.
The robberies increase as metal prices rise and the economy sours. Beer industry insiders say South Florida in particular is a keg-snatching hot spot.
"Anecdotal evidence points to a surge of thefts there," said Jeff Becker, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Beer Institute. "It's quickly become a major problem."
The most popular kegs, called full kegs or half-barrels, are made of aluminum or stainless steel. A stainless steel half-barrel is 2 feet high and weighs 29 pounds empty.
The Carolina Ale House in Weston reported 10 kegs stolen on May 28, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
A day before, police said, a man broke into the Southport Raw Bar in Fort Lauderdale and single-handedly swiped $1,000 worth of empty kegs and other equipment....http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbkegthefts0607sbjun09,0,4694800.story