The brand was sold to Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, in mid-2006, which transferred brewing operations to New Jersey while continuing to label the new beer prominently with the name of Latrobe.

As stated on the bottle, it was brewed with a distinctive soft local water in large glass-lined tanks, which were considered state-of-the-art at the time of its introduction (in part due to sanitation concerns).

Union leaders in Westmoreland County organized a nationwide boycott of Anheuser-Busch and InBev brands because of the move.

Many have speculated on the significance of the number 33: that the "33" refers to 1933, the founding year of the Pittsburgh Steelers (who hold their annual training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA);[13] that 33 degrees Fahrenheit is the proper temperature to keep beer; the 33 degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry; that Latrobe test-brewed 33 batches of beer before coming up with the final formula for Rolling Rock.

Other theories concerning the number 33 are that there were exactly 33 stairsteps from the brewmaster's office to the brewing floor in the original Latrobe brewery.

James L. Tito, former CEO of Latrobe Brewing, opined that the "33" signifies the 33 words in the beer's original pledge of quality, which is still printed on every bottle: 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.

A founding executive is said to have written "33" at the end of the slogan to indicate the number of words it comprised as a guide for the bottle printers.

Rolling Rock is prominently featured in the 1986 film At Close Range, which takes place in rural Pennsylvania.

Rolling Rock is featured as the beer that the main character, Jonathan Banks, drinks in the movie Side Effects.

Rolling Rock is shown as the beer of choice for Kate Winslet’s character and others in the series Mare of Easttown which is set in suburban Philadelphia.

Rolling Rock is shown as the beer of choice for the technicians Stan and Patrick in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, while performing the memory erasing of Joel.