Brewery Offers Free Beer, Gets Stolen Van in 42 Minutes

Beer was the solution to the problem when Charlotte's Unknown Brewing Company found its van missing early Monday. After posting a photo of the van on Facebook and offering a free keg party to whoever found it, the vehicle was located in just 42 minutes, WCNC reports. Unknown calls it a "new world record for finding a stolen van." The finder, a woman named Caroline, spotted it on a Charlotte side street. She'll get her keg party, says the grateful brewery.

The brewery says police believe three suspects stole the van around 1am and used it to commit at least 10 vehicle break-ins before ditching it. WBTV reports that Unknown plans to thank the community with a new beer called "Van Theft Auto," which it will sell for just 25 cents a pint. The brewery says its post asking for help finding the van was shared so many times that some people have wondered whether Unknown stole its own van for publicity. "We're good at marketing, but not that good," the brewery said in a Facebook post. (More beer stories.)