The imminent loss of the landmark Rolling Rock Brewery in Latrobe today spurred leaders of 15 Westmoreland County union locals to lay down their lagers and launch a nationwide boycott.

Organizers said beer-drinkers should continue to pound down Rolling Rocks through the end of July, when the brewery is scheduled to close and move operations to a plant in New Jersey. Meantime, they should shun all products produced by the corporations who did the deal, said "chief rabble-rouser" William Ehman.

That means a ban on all Budweiser, Busch, Michelob, St. Pauli Girl, O'Doul's, Bacardi, LaBatt's, Beck's and Spike's products.

Anheiser-Busch, one of the biggest brewery conglomerates in the world, bought the Rolling Rock brand from InBev, a Belgian beverage company with 85 international brands. The $82 million sale was announced Friday to the plant's 250 employees.

Politicians from the mayor right up to the governor pledged to find a new brewer to inhabit the cutting-edge facility, but Mr. Ehman said they're being presumptuous.

"Conglomerates make business decisions all the time, and they change their minds all the time, too. I'm an optimist," Mr. Ehman said. "I think Western Pennsylvanians should do something right now -- not just us, but people everywhere who like a good beer, and who understand the pride and identity that goes into Rolling Rock," he said. "It's not too late to get [the brewing corporations] to change their minds."

Nick Carota, head of maintenance at the brewery's bottling division, said a Rolling Rock beer made in New Jersey may wear the same label, but it won't really be the same product.

"They can't market it as "made from mountain spring water" when they're using water pulled from the East River," he said. "They won't get this kind of quality and workmanship from people in Newark."

"If it's not from Latrobe, it's not Rolling Rock," said beer-lover Heather McCallen. "It would be like swallowing a big lie."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.