MishM*A*S*H 41: M*A*S*H Themed Alcohol

When you watch M*A*S*H, alcohol plays a major role throughout the series. There is a still in the Swamp, an Officer’s Club, and the personal stash of many characters. The subject of alcohol and drinking changes as the show progressed. In the early seasons, the attitude towards alcohol is more relaxed with many characters getting drunk on a regular basis. As the series went on, we see a less of a focus on alcohol and there are episodes that highlight its negative effects (such as “Fallen Idol” (06×02) and “Bottoms Up” (09×15)). Outside of the show, there were a few products available that were alcohol themed. Hawkeye Distilled Products Company made several different liquors in bottles that were shaped like I.V. bottles. Then, there was 4077th M*A*S*H Beer. In the collection, I have examples from both companies, so this week, let’s look at the alcohol themed M*A*S*H products that were available in the 1980s.

M*A*S*H Beer

4077th M*A*S*H Beer is probably the most widely known M*A*S*H related alcohol products that was sold in the 1980s. The beer was sold in aluminum cans that featured a camouflage pattern with the M*A*S*H font in bright yellow. Its unique design would have made it stand out on the shelf! I cannot find any information about how long the beer was produced or how well it sold, but given the number of cans that I see for sale on eBay, it must have sold pretty well. I also cannot find any reviews of the beer. The can says “premium quality,” but based on what little I have read about M*A*S*H beer, it doesn’t sound like that was the case. M*A*S*H Matters briefly talked about the beer on episode 97, and they don’t have the best memories of it. On the plus side, the beer properly credits the trademarks held by Twentieth Century Fox on the cans, so it was likely approved for sale.

The can does offer some clues about where the beer was made. M*A*S*H beer was produced by the Pearl Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas. I did some research on the company, and it was founded in 1883 and made a variety of beers over the decades. The company survived prohibition, and was operating independently until the 1980s. In 1985, the company was acquired by the Pabst Brewing Company, and the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was shut down in 2001. Pearl Beer is still available today, but it is produced in Forth Worth, Texas. On their website, Pearl claims a heritage of “134 years in the making,” but it is not owned or operated by the same company that produced M*A*S*H beer in the 1980s.

Hawkeye Distilling Products Company

The other M*A*S*H related alcohol products that were sold in the 1980s were a series of hard liquors produced by Hawkeye Distilled Products Company (which is not related to Hawkeye Vodka that is still produced today). They produced a series of spirits that included vodka, gin, rum, and scotch. The alcohol did not ship in a standard bottle. Instead, the company shipped the alcohol in an I.V. bottle that included a dispensing system that functioned like an I.V. We do see Hawkeye and Trapper drink gin from an I.V. bottle, so I can understand the inspiration for this product. Throughout the series, we see each of the four types of alcohol they produced play a role. The boxes and bottles have one quirk about them. It appears that they originally planned to only sell vodka, but as they expanded they put stickers on the box and I.V. bottles that said “Gin,” “Vodka,” or “Rum.” My gin box and bottle, for example, just have red stickers on the box and bottle covering where “vodka” was printed. The photo of the product on the box is not different, however, as it still says “vodka.”

So what made up the “dispensing system” part of the product? The bottle has a metal ring on the base with a hanger. There is a tube and a straw with a rubber stopper that you put in place of the lid of the bottle. The box also contains a metal framed stand that you hang the bottle from. Then, you grab the end of the straw, flip the little switch that prevents the alcohol from coming out when you weren’t drinking, and start sipping away! It is a very unique tie-in with M*A*S*H, and one of the more inventive ones that I have seen. Unfortunately, I don’t know what became of the Hawkeye Distilled Products Company. The bottle and box both mention that the alcohol was produced in Princeton, Minnesota, but I can’t find any information about it. There is a Phillips Distilling Company based in Princeton that sells vodka, gin, and whiskey. It was founded in 1912, so it is possible that the “Hawkeye Distilled Products Company” name was used by them to market M*A*S*H related products. I have contacted the company to find out, but I haven’t received a response. I will update this post if I learn more.

Alcohol played a major role in M*A*S*H throughout its eleven seasons, and there were a number of companies that were ready to capitalize on that fact. There were hundreds of M*A*S*H licensed products sold over the years (see a Licensed Product Kit from 20th Century Fox and a kit from a M*A*S*H Licensing Conference), and selling beer and liquor made sense from a marketing perspective. Since the liquor sold by Hawkeye Distilled Products Company and 4077th M*A*S*H Beer both use the M*A*S*H trademark, 20th Century Fox would have likely financially benefited from the sale of these products. The partner company would have benefited as well since they were capitalizing on the success and popularity of the show. As a collector of items from the production of M*A*S*H, these two products don’t exactly fit the collection, but they do tell a story about the how widely the M*A*S*H trademark was used the 1980s. If you would like to add either cans of M*A*S*H beer or an I.V. bottle from Hawkeye Distilled Products Company to your collection, both are available on eBay. My cans of beer have been drilled, so they are empty. Although, I do occasionally see full cans sell, but I don’t recommend drinking it!