Beer. You love it, I love it, your Uncle Jimbo used to love it until that whole nude incident at the supermarket. Know who else loves it? Pop culture. Booze has always had a place in movies and television, whether as the cause of hijinks or the solution to problems. Hell, some shows totally revolve around the stuff. So in honor of National IPA Day, here are a few of our favorite hooch-inspired moments in pop culture history.
Cheers
You can’t really start a list about beer and pop culture anywhere else can you? Cheers made us feel like one of the gang, and was one of the most reliable sources of laughs on television for its entire 11 season run. It was a micro-community of relatable characters that were held together by beer. It’s beautiful.
Homer Simpson & Duff Beer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1qtbV3vjjY
Homer Simpson and his love affair with Duff Beer has been going on for close to 600 episodes now, and remarkably, shows no signs of slowing down. Duff has been a constant presence in The Simpsons’ universe, whether due to an appearance from Duff Man himself, or as the subject of a short film by Barney Gumble. Funny thing is, the fictitious beer is no longer fictitious. Universal Studios began selling Duff Beer when they built their recreation of Moe’s Tavern in 2013, and unlicensed versions of the stuff are brewed all over the world. If Homer Simpson ever gets his act together, Duff Beer might just be doomed.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Always Sunny is, of course, another show that wouldn’t exist if not for beer, but who can forget their battle against the North Koreans for the title of Best Microbrew? The fact that The Gang’s beer was actually skunked beer thrown into a trash can and sold at a higher price is irrelevant. It probably just needed some more anti-freeze.
SchraderBrau (Breaking Bad)
When Hank Schrader wasn’t having trouble overcoming his crippling PTSD, attending rehab for his horrifying injuries, or discovering that his own brother-in-law was the most infamous drug kingpin in all of the Southwest (who was responsible for nearly all of his problems, in some capacity), he was busy making his own beer in his garage. That show was dark huh?
Triumph The Insult Comic Dog at The Great American Beer Festival
Triumph and the man behind him, Robert Smigel, have been pooping on targets for nearly 20 years now, but that doesn’t mean it’s gotten any less hilarious. In 2013, Triumph took aim at craft beer drinkers, a collection of hopped up aficionados who, until that point, had been perfectly happy sitting in a corner and silently judging anyone with a beer that cost less than $10 for an eight ounce glass.
Beerfest
You have to imagine sales of Das Boot have gone and remained through the roof ever since this movie came out. While it wasn’t quite as successful as its older, Broken-Lizard-produced brother, Super Troopers, Beerfest has still managed to garner a cult following and remains one of the most quoted movies at frat parties around the country. It has also invariably led directly to a countless number of painful college hangovers.
Drinking Buddies
Starring Anna Kendrick, Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Ron Livingston, Drinking Buddies is the story of two mixed up couples who aren’t exactly sure what they want, and if their significant other is actually their significant other. The film helped writer and director Joe Swanberg lay his claim to the throne of mumblecore filmmaking, which often heavily relies on improvisation. Oh yeah, and two of the main characters work in a brewery and everyone in it is really good looking.
The Man Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQwOYdLOdCE
Looking for clips of this made me realize how old I am. There are next to no traces of The Man Show online, save for videos like the one above that look like they were taped during the advent of television. Anyway, The Man Show put Jimmy Kimmel (Yeah kids, that buttoned up old guy that’s on TV every night) and Adam Corolla on the map, and had no qualms with admitting that the often offensive show revolved around beer and boobs (women jumping on trampolines specifically). Their famous beer chug sign off can still be heard at bars around the country, and was recently recreated on Jimmy Kimmel Live with the help of Workaholics star Adam DeVine.
