Quint's Jaws Beverage: Beer Choice For The Shark Hunter

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks Narragansett beer. The Rhode Island-brewed beer features in an iconic scene where Quint intimidates Matt Hooper by crushing an empty can with one hand. The choice to include Narragansett in the film was reportedly influenced by director Steven Spielberg's desire for authenticity; the beer was, at the time, the most popular in New England and was drunk by local fishermen.

Quint drinks Narragansett beer in Jaws

In the 1975 film Jaws, the character Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks Narragansett beer. The beer is featured in one of the film's most memorable scenes, where Quint cracks open a can of Narragansett, drinks it down in one gulp, and then crushes the can with one hand, letting it drop to the deck with a clang. This moment has become iconic, with Narragansett Beer even bringing back the 1975 can design for promotional purposes.

The choice of Narragansett beer for this scene was not an accident. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard, which stood in for the film's fictional Amity Island, what their favourite beer was. The fishermen drank Narragansett, and so the beer made its way into the film.

The inclusion of Narragansett beer in Jaws was also not without its symbolism. The crushing of the can could be seen as representing the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist, or book smarts vs hands-on knowledge. Additionally, the feat of strength required to crush the can was much more impressive at the time, as cans were made with much more metal than they are today.

The beer also played a larger role in the original Jaws novel by Peter Benchley. In the book, 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 was changed in the film, perhaps due to time constraints, with the can-crushing scene being a quicker way to convey the same dynamic between the characters.

Despite the iconic association with Jaws, the success of the film did not have a positive impact on the sales of Narragansett Beer. In fact, in 1975, as Jaws broke box office records, the fortunes of the Narragansett Brewing Company were heading in the opposite direction. The company was sold, and major changes were made to its marketing, community partnerships, and structure, all of which negatively impacted sales. By 1981, the brewery in Rhode Island that employed about 1,000 workers was closed down for good.

However, the association with Jaws continued to be used in Narragansett Beer's marketing campaigns. In 2012, the company re-released the classic 1975 can design to coincide with Discovery Channel's Shark Week and in honour of Robert Shaw, who played Quint. The campaign has been extremely successful and has become an annual tradition.

The choice of beer was to make the film feel authentic

The choice of beer in the film Jaws was to make the film feel authentic. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel real, so he and his team asked local fishermen on the docks at Martha's Vineyard what beer they drank. They replied that they drank Narragansett beer, so that was the beer that ended up in the film.

The Narragansett beer scene in Jaws is one of the most memorable drinking scenes in film. In the scene, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, cracks open a can of Narragansett beer and drinks it down in one gulp. He then eyeballs Matt Hooper and crushes the can with one hand, letting it drop to the deck with a clang. This show of strength was much more impressive at the time, as cans were made with much more metal than they are today.

The Narragansett beer scene was not the only time alcohol was featured in Jaws. The film also includes drinking scenes with whiskey, wine, apricot brandy, and moonshine. However, the Narragansett scene is particularly notable for its symbolism. BJ Mansuetti, Brand Director at Narragansett Brewing Company, believes that the scene represents the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist, with Quint representing the working class.

The inclusion of Narragansett beer in Jaws had a significant impact on the brand. Although the film was released during a downward turn for the company, the iconic scene helped to revive the brand. In the years following the film's release, Narragansett Beer released limited-edition cans featuring the 1975 design, paying homage to the film and creating a connection with fans.

The beer was crushed by hand by Captain Quint

In the 1975 film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, crushes a can of Narragansett beer with his bare hands. This iconic scene has since been reproduced in marketing campaigns, with the beer company re-releasing the classic 1975 can design on several occasions.

The choice of Narragansett beer in the film was not an accident. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he asked local fishermen in Martha's Vineyard, which stood in for the fictional Amity Island, about their favourite beer. The answer was Narragansett, a popular beer in New England at the time.

In the scene, Quint eyeballs Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) and challenges him by crushing the can with one hand and letting it drop to the deck with a clang. Hooper responds by finishing his coffee and crumpling his styrofoam cup. This moment symbolises the ongoing tension between the two characters, representing the working class and the elite, or hands-on knowledge versus book smarts.

The strength required to crush the can was also more impressive at the time, as cans were made with much more metal than they are today. This feat of strength would have been even more impressive to audiences in 1975.

The beer almost played a larger role in the film. In the original book, Quint shoots beer cans on the deck of the Orca with a makeshift skeet launcher, taunting 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 has since become part of the beer's marketing campaign, with the company encouraging fans to share their best Captain Quint impressions on social media with the hashtag #CrushItLikeQuint.

The beer was from a Rhode Island brewery

In the film Jaws, Captain Quint, played by Robert Shaw, drinks a can of Narragansett beer. The beer is from a Rhode Island brewery, and the can is crushed by Quint in one of the film's most memorable scenes.

The Narragansett beer cameo in Jaws is said to have been the result of director Steven Spielberg's desire for the film to feel authentic. While on location in Martha's Vineyard, Spielberg and his team asked local fishermen what their favourite beer was, and they replied 'Gansett'. At the time, Narragansett was a large company and the most popular beer in New England, so it is not surprising that it was the drink of choice for the fishermen.

The brand director at Narragansett Brewing Company, BJ Mansuetti, recalled that the beer almost played a larger role in the film. In the original book, Jaws, by Peter Benchley, Quint shoots beer cans on the deck of the Orca using a makeshift skeet launcher, rather than crushing the can to intimidate Matt Hooper. However, the film version may have been shortened, and the can-crushing scene became an iconic moment in cinema history.

The crushing of the Narragansett beer can is symbolic in many ways. Mansuetti believes that it represents the ongoing struggle between the working person and the elitist, or book smarts versus hands-on knowledge. Additionally, it showcases an outcast showing society their worth. The feat of strength was also more impressive given that the cans at the time were made with much more metal than today's aluminium cans.

Despite the positive association with Jaws, the success of the film did not have a significant impact on the sales of Narragansett Beer. In fact, in 1975, as Jaws broke box office records, the fortunes of the Rhode Island-based brewery were heading in the opposite direction. The company was sold, which led to major changes in marketing, community partnerships, and structure, all of which negatively impacted sales.

However, the brand association with Jaws remained, and in 2005, Narragansett was purchased by New England resident Mark Hellendrung. The company played on its connection to the film, re-releasing the classic 1975 can design for the 35th anniversary of the movie in 2010. The promotion coincided with Discovery Channel's Shark Week and has since become an annual tradition. The campaign has been extremely successful, with Narragansett even teaming up with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami to support shark conservation efforts in the Atlantic Ocean.

Narragansett Beer has since used Jaws in its marketing campaigns

In the film Jaws, Captain Quint, a hardened shark fisherman, crushes a can of Narragansett Beer on the deck of the Orca. This iconic scene has since been used in Narragansett's marketing campaigns.

According to BJ Mansuetti, Brand Director at Narragansett Brewing Company, the inclusion of their beer in Jaws was not a paid product placement but rather a happy accident. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the film to feel authentic, so he and his team spoke to local fishermen on Martha's Vineyard to get a sense of what they were drinking. At the time, Narragansett was the most popular beer in New England, so it is not surprising that it ended up in the hands of fishermen in the film.

Despite the film's box office success, Narragansett Beer did not see a boost in sales. In fact, the company was sold to the Falstaff Brewing Company in Indiana, which led to changes in marketing, community partnerships, and structure that negatively impacted sales. By 1981, the Rhode Island brewery was closed for good, and the brand fell out of favour.

However, in 2005, Narragansett was purchased by New England resident Mark Hellendrung, who wanted to bring back the original recipe and recreate the brand's former glory. As part of their marketing strategy, Narragansett played on its association with Jaws. In 2012, they re-released the classic 1975 can design to coincide with Discovery Channel's Shark Week and in honour of Robert Shaw, the actor who played Quint, who would have turned 86 that year. The campaign was extremely successful and has since returned annually for Shark Week. In addition, Narragansett has teamed up with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami to support shark conservation efforts in the Atlantic Ocean.

While it is difficult to attribute the success of Narragansett's relaunch solely to the continued popularity of Jaws, it is clear that the film's cult status has played a role in turning things around for the beer brand.

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