Well-Known Philly Beer Week Symbol Stolen

By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Symbol signifying the official start of Beer Week, the Hammer of Glory, has gone missing.

“Somebody decided to pick it up and, you know, take off with it,” Philly Beer Week Director Don Russell said.

Russell, also known as Joe Six Pack, says he called Philadelphia police on Saturday to report the Hammer of Glory stolen. The audacious sledgehammer is silver and inscribed with the word ‘BEER’ on its head and ‘Philly Beer Week’ on the handle.

Mayor Nutter used the hammer to kick off Beer Week on May 31st, and since then it’s made hundreds of appearances at various bars in the area.

“It’s a very public symbol,” Russell said. “It gets picked up, lots of people take pictures of it and it gets passed around. And it just seemed to walk off.”

The Hammer was on display the Fishtown Festival on Frankford Avenue when it went missing. Russell says if you have it, just turn it in to a Beer Week bar.