Originally called Pabst Select, Pabst Blue Ribbon got it's name from the blue ribbon tied around the bottle neck, a practice that ran from 1882 until 1916.
In 1906, Pabst first began to use caps on bottles of PBR instead of corks.
In 1935, Pabst was the first brewery to put beer in cans. This was Blue Ribbon beer but it was called "Export" when sold in the can.
The PBR cans had a picture of a can opener on the side with instructions on how to open the can of beer, with the can opener.
During World War II, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans were painted olive drab at the factory for military use. All of the canned beer was for the military. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was not sold to civilians in cans during the war because of tin rationing.
Pabst Brewing Company, the nation’s fourth largest brewer behind Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors announced it was closing its last brewery and would be transferring all of its production to Miller Brewing on a contract basis.
Today, PBR remains popular with, among others, college students and farm workers, although it is losing market share to newer brands like Natural Ice and Natural Light.