Brewer Offers Liquid Reward for Lost Laptop

By Greg McNevin

October 23, 2007: The theft of a company laptop and the data it holds can be quite a blow for a small business, and beyond reporting the theft to police often there isn’t much else that can be done other than hope the lost machine surfaces with its payload intact. Not inclined to tempt fate, one New Zealand brewer has decided to offer a tasty reward for its missing information.

The Croucher Brewing Co from the central North Island city of Rotorua recently had its offices broken into and a laptop full of important company data pilfered.

“Our brewery was broken into the night of Monday 15th of October, and the company laptop was stolen,” writes Croucher Brewing co-owner Paul Croucher on the company’s website. “The laptop had lots of info about our business that is important to us, but of no real value to anybody else, as it wasn’t exactly the latest technology laptop.”

However, instead of merely reporting the theft and sitting on its hands, the firm has put a bounty on its missing machine, with he who recovers the laptop scoring a six pack of Croucher’s finest ale, every month, for life.

“If someone finds the laptop and returns it with all files and data in-tact and as it was, we will supply that person with one dozen Croucher Brewing boutique beer every month for the rest of their life!” writes Croucher, adding emphatically that its offer “is not a typo.”

Now that’s an incentive. You don’t have to ask Batman, crime fighting is thirsty work indeed.

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