Quint's Beer Choice In Jaws: What Was It?

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks a can of Narragansett lager. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, he crushes the can with one hand to intimidate Richard Dreyfuss' character. The choice of beer was not an accident – director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard what their favourite beer was.

Quint drinks Narragansett beer in Jaws

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks Narragansett beer. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Quint cracks open a can of the beer and drinks it down in one gulp. He then crushes the can with one hand and lets it drop to the deck, intimidating Richard Dreyfuss' character, Matt Hooper.

The Narragansett cameo came about because director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic. He and his team asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard, where the film was shot, what their favourite beer was. The fishermen drank 'Gansett', and so the beer made its way into the film.

The brand has since capitalised on its appearance in Jaws, bringing back the 1975 "Jaws" can design for the film's 40th anniversary in 2015. The company has also released commemorative cans featuring the retro imagery, which has become ingrained in American culture.

The beer even inspired a social media campaign, #CrushItLikeQuint, and the brand teamed up with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami to help support shark conservation efforts in the Atlantic Ocean.

The beer was chosen for authenticity

The beer chosen for the film Jaws was Narragansett Beer. The choice was made in the name of authenticity, as director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic to its setting. To achieve this, he and his team asked local fishermen on the docks at Martha's Vineyard what beer they drank. The answer was 'Gansett', a Rhode Island-brewed beer.

The beer's cameo comes when Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, intimidates Richard Dreyfuss' character by crushing a can of Narragansett lager. This iconic scene has since been incorporated into the Narragansett marketing campaign, with the company bringing back the 1975 "Jaws" can design for the film's 40th anniversary.

According to BJ Mansuetti, Brand Director at Narragansett Brewing Company, the choice of beer was not an accident, but it also wasn't their doing. Mansuetti explains that at the time, Narragansett was a big company and the most popular beer in New England, so it's no surprise that it ended up in the hands of fishermen.

The beer even had the potential to play a larger role in the film. In the original novel by Peter Benchley, Quint shoots beer cans on the deck of the Orca using a makeshift skeet launcher, taunting Matt Hooper for not joining in. However, this scene may have been deemed too long, and so a quick can crush was used instead.

The Narragansett beer cameo in Jaws is not only iconic but also symbolic. Mansuetti believes that the moment represents the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist, with Quint embodying the determination to make a difference and prove his worth.

The beer brand suffered despite the Jaws cameo

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, crushes a can of Narragansett lager in one of the film's most memorable scenes. The beer brand enjoyed a brief boost in popularity following the film's release, with fans taking to social media with the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint. However, the success of the film did not translate to long-term sales for Narragansett Beer. In fact, the brand's fortunes took a turn for the worse, with the company being sold and major changes in marketing, community partnerships, and structure negatively impacting sales.

The decline in Narragansett's sales could be attributed to a variety of factors, including the sale of the company to the Falstaff Brewing Company, which led to changes that did not resonate with consumers. Despite the iconic cameo in Jaws, Narragansett Beer struggled to maintain its market position and sales continued to drop.

In an attempt to revive the brand, New England resident Mark Hellendrung purchased Narragansett in 2005. The company played on its association with Jaws, re-releasing the classic can design from the 1970s and partnering with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami to support shark conservation efforts. While it is difficult to attribute the success of the relaunch solely to the continued popularity of Jaws, the cult status of the film and its avid fanbase likely played a role in turning things around for Narragansett Beer.

The contrasting fates of the film and the beer brand highlight the unpredictable nature of consumer behaviour and the challenges of maintaining brand relevance in a competitive market. Despite the initial setback, Narragansett Beer was able to leverage its connection to a cultural icon like Jaws to regain its footing and reconnect with consumers.

The beer was drunk from a can

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks a can of Narragansett lager beer. The beer is drunk straight from the can, with no glass in sight. This is fitting for the character, a hardened shark fisherman from Amity Island, who embodies the working-class hero archetype.

The choice of beer was not an accident. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he asked local fishermen what they drank. When they replied that it was Narragansett, he put it in the film. At the time, Narragansett was a popular beer in New England, so it's no surprise that fishermen were drinking it.

The beer-drinking scene in Jaws is iconic. After cracking open a can of Narragansett, Quint drinks it down in one gurgling gulp. He then eyeballs the character Hooper and crushes the can with one hand, letting it drop to the deck with a clang. This show of strength would have been even more impressive given that beer cans at the time were made with much more metal than they are today.

The scene has since been immortalised in marketing campaigns for Narragansett Beer. The company has released commemorative cans featuring the same design and logo as those made popular by the film. The retro imagery from 1975 has become ingrained in American culture, with the beer can crush becoming an iconic moment in cinema history.

The beer was also drunk from plastic cups

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks a can of Narragansett lager beer. The beer is drunk from plastic cups in several scenes in the film, including during a beachsIDE bonfire and on the "Orca" boat.

The choice of Narragansett beer was not an accident. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he and his team asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard about their drink of choice. The beer was also a popular choice in New England at the time.

The now-iconic scene of Quint crushing a can of Narragansett beer to intimidate Matt Hooper's character was originally meant to be a scene where Quint shoots beer cans with a makeshift skeet launcher. However, the can-crushing scene was chosen as it was shorter and more impactful. This scene has since been replicated in marketing campaigns for the beer, with the company bringing back the 1975 "Jaws" can design for the film's anniversary.

The plastic cups used for drinking beer in the film were Falstaff Beer-branded, a St. Louis-based beer that went out of production in 2005. The choice of disposable plastic cups adds to the working-class, utilitarian approach to drinking in the film, reflecting the everyday drinking culture of the mid-1970s.

The beer-drinking scenes in Jaws are notable for their naturalistic portrayal, woven into the fabric of the film rather than presented as artful shots. The drinking moments serve as a source of pleasure, fortitude, and courage for the characters as they navigate the dangers of the shark-infested waters.

Frequently asked questions