7 Things You Should Know About Rolling Rock, the American Beer With a Mysterious Code on Every Bottle

When considering the name “Rolling Rock,” beer fans might associate the brand with hair-flipping, guitar-smashing rock and roll. But the music genre didn’t emerge until the 1950s, and the story of Rolling Rock begins much earlier.

Rolling Rock was first produced at the Latrobe Brewing Company — a brewery founded in 1839 in Latrobe, Penn. At first, the brewery produced two labels, Latrobe Old German and Latrobe Pilsner, until a quintet of brothers took over and debuted Rolling Rock in 1939.

The extra pale lager has joined the ranks of America’s most iconic beer labels. Rolling Rock is perhaps most known for its signature green glass bottles and the number “33” embossed onto each bottle. (More on that later.) From that mysterious code to the brand’s contemporary branding, here are seven things to know about Rolling Rock.

The Tito family bought the brewery that first produced Rolling Rock during Prohibition.

The Latrobe Brewing Company’s facility went up for sale upon the onset of the 18th Amendment, and while many saw Prohibition as the end of America’s alcohol industry, five brothers of the Tito family took a chance on the return of the booze business in America. In 1932, when Prohibition was still in place, the brothers purchased Latrobe Brewing Company, and upon repeal in 1933, re-started production of the brewery’s old labels. Six years later, they decided to launch their own beer: Rolling Rock. In the decades that followed, the company underwent a number of changes in ownership, finally landing in the hands of Anheuser-Busch. The macro-brewing giant picked up the brand in 2006 before becoming Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2008.

No one knows what the mysterious code means.

The meaning behind the “33” on each bottle of Rolling Rock remains ambiguous: Even the brand’s website says, “Nobody knows.” However, that mystery has spurred a number of theories of what “33” could refer to. Some believe it’s a nod to the 33 steps involved in making beer, others purport it alludes to Rolling Rock’s brewing temperature, 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Additional theories suggest it hints at the year Prohibition was repealed, the number of stairs at the original brewery, among others.

Rolling Rock once used an atypical brewing vessel…

Since its debut Rolling Rock historically brewed and stored its beers in glass-lined tanks — unusual vessels for beermaking. Whereas most brewers use stainless steel unitanks for brewing, the original tanks insulated with glass helped reinforce the pale lager’s crisp, clean profile. Anheuser-Busch mostly ended the tradition in 2015, pivoting much of Rolling Rock’s production to steel tanks — though it still maintained the glass-lined tanks for its canned beers.

… that inspired another motto embossed onto every bottle.

The longstanding tradition of the glass-lined tanks is also featured in a pledge printed on every bottle. It reads: “Rolling Rock — From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you.” (That motto is also 33 words, which is another theory for the meaning behind that ever-elusive number.)

The brand launched a poster series to highlight visual artists.

Rolling Rock launched a rollout of posters in collaboration with artists in 1998. The collection, titled “Rolling Rock Poster Series,” includes a number of late-’90s and early-2000s designs in a range of styles, including pop art and abstractionism. Many of the “vintage” posters are available for resale today.

Rolling Rock also hosted five alternative rock music festivals.

From 2000 to 2005, Rolling Rock hosted an annual alternative rock music festival called the Rolling Rock Town Fair. It drew some of the hottest names in early-aughts rock personalities and swarms of energetic fans to Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland Fairgrounds, just 10 miles from the beer’s birthplace in Latrobe. The Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined the inaugural festival with appearances from Moby, Fuel, and other bands. Later years’ performers included Disturbed and Stone Temple Pilots. Each year, it was a sort of mecca for Western Pennsylvania’s angsty teens, who’d bathe themselves in mud before joining the mosh pit.

Rolling Rock shot for the moon in a false advertisement.

After acquiring the brand in 2006, Anheuser Busch angered Rolling Rock devotees by shifting its production from Pennsylvania to its macrobrewery in Newark, N.J. As a result, sales began to slump, and to win back favor with fans, the brand launched an ad campaign called “Moonvertising.” Rolling Rock claimed on March 21, 2008, it would project its logo onto the moon with a laserbeam. It was a feat they obviously could not accomplish, further disappointing supporters and keeping the brand in the doghouse for some time.

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