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Beer has a complicated relationship with television. It’s often used as comedic fodder, to represent drunkenness or excess, often appearing sloshing around in red plastic cups at wild parties. It’s a far cry from the refined treatment reserved for wine, which, by and large, is depicted as a mark of sophistication. Spirits and cocktails often get a similar treatment, imbibed in chic settings. Even when they’re not, spirits are frequently used as a prop to establish tough guy dominance. Beer? Not so much.
But with the rise of craft beer, local breweries and dedicated bottle shops, we think it’s time to change the narrative of beer in television.
The difference between the ways wine and beer are depicted in scripted television is perhaps most jarring. Take the example of Grand Crew, which premiered in 2021 and airs on Peacock. Set in a wine bar, the sitcom holds an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Venerable comedian Garrett Morris serves as the narrator and sets up the male cast members as multi-layered people whose characters go beyond traditional masculine stereotypes.
