pabst blue ribbon, also known as "pbr", is the namesake of the pabst brewing company products. originally called best select, and then pabst select, the current name came from the blue ribbons that were tied around the bottle neck, a practice that ran from 1882 until 1916, discontinued due to a silk shortage during world war i. after prohibition, the blue ribbons were once again tied around the neck of the bottle, a custom that endured from 1933 until 1950.