Quint's Beer Choice: Unveiling The Beverage's Identity

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks a can of Narragansett lager. In an iconic scene, he crushes the can with one hand to intimidate Richard Dreyfuss's character. The choice of Narragansett beer was not accidental – director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard what beer they drank. The beer has since been used in marketing campaigns, with the brewery encouraging fans to share their best Captain Quint impressions on social media using the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint.

Quint's beer of choice in the film Jaws is Narragansett Beer

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, famously drinks and crushes a can of Narragansett Beer. This iconic scene has become ingrained in American culture and has even been used in the beer's marketing campaigns.

The choice of Narragansett Beer by Quint in the film was not a mere coincidence. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he and his team asked local fishermen on the docks at Martha's Vineyard about their beer preference. The fishermen drank 'Gansett', a popular beer in New England at the time, and so it made its way into the film.

The crushing of the Narragansett beer can by Quint is symbolic in many ways. It represents the ongoing struggle between the working class and the elite, with Quint embodying the determination of the working person to prove their worth. Additionally, the feat of strength was more impressive given that the cans at the time were made with more metal than today's aluminium cans.

The inclusion of Narragansett Beer in Jaws had a significant impact on the brand. While the film broke box office records, the fortunes of Narragansett Beer were heading in the opposite direction. The company was sold, which led to changes in marketing, community partnerships, and structure, all of which negatively impacted sales. Despite this, Narragansett Beer has since capitalised on its association with Jaws, releasing commemorative cans featuring the 1975 retro design and encouraging fans to share their best Captain Quint impressions on social media with the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint.

The Narragansett Beer can is crushed by Quint in an iconic scene

The Narragansett Beer can is crushed by Captain Quint in an iconic scene in the 1975 film Jaws. The character, played by Robert Shaw, crushes the can to intimidate Richard Dreyfuss's character. The scene takes place on the deck of the Orca, where Quint eyeballs Matt Hooper before crushing the can with one hand and letting it drop to the floor.

The Narragansett Beer can has become an iconic piece of film history, with the brand even choosing to bring back the 1975 "Jaws" can design for a limited time to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary. The design has also been re-released annually to coincide with Shark Week. The brand has also used the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint as part of its marketing campaigns.

The inclusion of the Narragansett Beer can in the film was not a paid product placement. According to BJ Mansuetti, Brand Director at Narragansett Brewing Company, the beer's appearance was a result of director Steven Spielberg's desire to make the film feel authentic. He and his team spoke to local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard, who told them that 'Gansett' was their beer of choice. Mansuetti also believes that the crushing of the can is symbolic of the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist.

The beer also plays a larger role in the original book, where Quint shoots beer cans on the deck of the Orca using a makeshift skeet launcher. However, this scene may have been deemed too long for the film, so a quick can crush was used instead. Despite the iconic status of the scene, the success of Jaws did not have a positive impact on Narragansett Beer sales. In fact, the brewery faced a long run of tough years following the film's release.

The choice of beer was to make the film feel authentic

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Sam Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks Narragansett lager. In one scene, he crushes a can of the beer to intimidate Richard Dreyfuss's character.

The crushing of the Narragansett beer can has become an iconic moment in the film and has even been used in the beer's marketing campaigns. The brand has released limited-edition cans featuring the 1975 retro design to commemorate the film's anniversary.

The choice of beer was not just about authenticity, but also symbolism. BJ Mansuetti, Brand Director at Narragansett Brewing Company, believes that the moment represents the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist. It also symbolises an outcast showing their worth to society.

The Narragansett beer cameo in Jaws is a great example of how including specific product placements can add to the realism and impact of a film. It also shows how a brand can benefit from being featured in a popular film, even if it's just a small role.

The beer was also drunk by Cassidy (Chrissy Watkins' boyfriend) in Jaws

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint famously crushes a can of Narragansett lager. However, the beer drunk by Cassidy (Chrissy Watkins' boyfriend) in the film is Falstaff beer. This is notable because, at the time of the film's release, Narragansett was a much more popular beer, and Falstaff had ceased production in 2005.

The appearance of Narragansett in Jaws was not a paid product placement. Instead, it was chosen by the prop manager, or perhaps even by director Steven Spielberg himself, who has said he wanted the film to feel authentic. To that end, Spielberg and his team asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard what beer they drank, and they answered 'Gansett'.

The beer played a larger role in the original Jaws novel by Peter Benchley. In the book, rather than crushing the can to intimidate Matt Hooper, Quint shoots beer cans on the deck of the Orca using a makeshift skeet launcher, taunting Hooper for not joining in.

The crushing of the Narragansett beer can has been interpreted as symbolic of the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist, or book smarts vs hands-on knowledge. It has also been suggested that the scene represents an outcast showing society their worth.

The appearance of Narragansett in Jaws has been leveraged for marketing purposes. In 2010, the brand released a 1975-design throwback can to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the film's release, and this has become an annual tradition around Shark Week. The campaign encouraged fans to share their best Captain Quint impressions on social media with the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint.

Narragansett Beer has since released commemorative cans

In Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, crushes a can of Narragansett lager. This iconic scene has since become ingrained in American culture.

In the scene, Quint intimidates Richard Dreyfuss’s character by crushing a can of Narragansett lager with one hand. This moment has come to symbolise the ongoing struggle between the working class and the elite. At the time, cans were made with much more metal, so the feat of strength was even more impressive than it would be today.

The Narragansett Beer Company has since leaned into this association with Jaws and, in 2010, released a limited-edition 1975-design throwback can to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the film's release. This has become an annual tradition, with the company re-releasing the commemorative cans during Shark Week and the anniversary of Jaws' release. The campaign, which includes the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint, has been extremely successful, with fans sharing their best Captain Quint impressions on social media.

In addition to generating excitement among fans, the commemorative cans also serve as a marketing strategy for Narragansett Beer. The company plays on the cult status of Jaws and the enthusiasm of its fans to promote its product and generate sales. This strategy seems to be paying off, as Narragansett Beer is now one of America's top 50 regional brewers and the fastest-growing in the Northeast.

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