The oldest beer movie known to man is “The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933)”. This film is a short comedy movie starring W.C. Fields, known for its absurdist humor and deadpan delivery. Set in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, the film follows the story of Mr. Snavely (Fields), a dour, long-suffering man living in a remote snow-covered cabin with his wife. Their son, Chester, left home to seek fortune in the city but was led astray by the temptations of alcohol—symbolized by the “fatal glass of beer.”
The film satirizes morality plays and melodramas of the time, with exaggeratedly tragic storytelling and intentionally clumsy staging. Fields frequently breaks the fourth wall, delivering the film’s most famous recurring gag: after dramatically declaring, “And it ain’t a fit night out for man nor beast!” he immediately gets a handful of fake snow tossed into his face.
With its surreal, anti-comedy sensibilities and relentless parody of melodramatic tropes, The Fatal Glass of Beer remains one of Fields’ most bizarre and memorable short films.
Story about W.C. Fields
W.C. Fields was the glorious grouch who turned misanthropy into an art form, a red-nosed virtuoso who hated children, dogs, and just about everything else that moved—except maybe a well-mixed martini and a stack of unpaid bills he could juggle like circus knives. With his bulbous schnozz glowing like a stoplight nobody obeyed and a voice that sounded like a busted bagpipe gargling gravel, he waddled through the 1930s and ’40s snarling lines that still make decent people snort their drinks: “I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally.” Fields didn’t just play drunkards and con men; he elevated them into philosophers of glorious self-interest, forever scheming to swindle bankers, outwit temperance ladies, and keep one step ahead of any kid who might ask him for a nickel.
Off-screen, the myth and the man happily arm-wrestled each other. He kept dozens of bank accounts under fake names (his favorite pseudonym: “Mahatma Kane Jeeves”), hoarded cash in trunks because he trusted banks about as much as he trusted a teetotaler’s handshake, and once told a process server, “Tell ’em I’m out of town—permanently.” He claimed to have started juggling at age nine to fend off his abusive father, which explains why every apple he ever tossed in a movie looked personally offended. Fields died on Christmas Day 1946—a holiday he openly despised—just to get the last laugh, presumably while muttering, “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia,” the line carved on his tombstone as the ultimate raspberry to the universe. Somewhere right now he’s probably trying to return a cloud to Saint Peter, claiming it has a hole in it.
W.C. Fields Quotes:
- “I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally.”
- “Never give a sucker an even break.”
- “It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.”
- “I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”
- “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”
- “I never vote for anybody; I always vote against.”
- “Anyone who hates children and dogs can’t be all bad.” (Actually said about Fields by someone else at a dinner, but he loved it so much he repeated it forever.)
- “A woman drove me to drink and I never even had the courtesy to thank her.”
- “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.”
- “I like children—fried.” (Apocryphal, but so perfectly in character that it stuck.)
- “Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch!”
- “Ah, the patter of little feet around the house—there’s nothing like having a midget for a butler.”
- “I’d rather have two barrels of Yesterday’s Sauerkraut than all the flowers in the world.”
- “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” (His self-penned epitaph)
- “Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we’ll be seeing six or seven.”
Fun Beer Facts, Breweries and More: Click Here
Kick off with light, effervescent sippers to whet the appetite without filling up. These handle cheese boards, deviled eggs, or shrimp cocktail with zesty finesse.
Opt for gentle acidity and subtle fruit to mirror autumn’s harvest vibes, cleansing the palate for heavier courses.
(roast turkey, gravy, herb stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce)
These sides demand beers with caramel depth or gentle tartness to match the sticky-sweet and puckery contrast.
(pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple crisp, etc.)
Wind down with bold, warming sippers—Ohio’s 2025 barrel-aged stouts deliver velvety depth for digesting and debating that Lions game.
McGuire’s Irish Pub – Pensacola, FL
Seattle’s pioneering craft brewery, 
Craft beer enthusiasts, mark your calendars! For the first time in its legendary 30+ year history, Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Original Stout – the beer that pioneered the entire bourbon barrel-aged stout category – will hit shelves in sleek 10-ounce bottle 4-packs starting Black Friday, November 28, 2025.
Why This Matters for Beer Lovers in 2025
North Carolina’s craft beer scene shines every fall at the NC Brewers Cup, the state’s largest and most prestigious professional beer competition. Organized by the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild since 2001, the Cup brings together hundreds of entries from breweries big and small to be blind-judged by BJCP-certified and professional judges using the latest Brewers Association style guidelines. Medals are awarded in dozens of categories (everything from classic lagers and IPAs to wild ales and barrel-aged stouts), plus a special “NC Home-Grown” category that celebrates beers made with at least 50 % North Carolina ingredients. Winners are announced each November at the NC Craft Brewers Conference in Winston-Salem, with the Brewery of the Year trophy going to the shop that racks up the most points across all categories. Over the years the competition has grown into a beloved celebration of Tar Heel brewing excellence, spotlighting both legendary names (Highland, NoDa, Fullsteam) and rising stars while giving beer lovers across the state a trusted guide to the very best local pints.
November 17(Newport, Oregon) – In the misty coastal town of Newport, Oregon, where the Pacific Ocean crashes against rugged cliffs and the scent of salt mingles with hops, a chapter of American craft beer history slammed shut last Friday. Rogue Ales & Spirits, the pioneering brewery that helped define the microbrew revolution, abruptly ceased all operations on November 14, 2025. What began as a scrappy venture in 1988 ended not with a final toast, but with locked doors, unpaid bills, and a stunned community left holding empty pint glasses.
The Story of Ken Grossman Brewing and Sierra Nevada Stout – The Brewery’s First Beer
In 1978, Grossman, along with Paul Camusi, founded 
On November 15, 1980, at 5 a.m., Grossman brewed Sierra Nevada’s first test batch: five barrels (150 gallons) of stout. This choice was deliberate. Grossman and Camusi opted for a stout over their already-tested pale ale recipe because they believed the dark, robust style would mask any imperfections in their fledgling brewery’s process. As Grossman explained, “We thought that making a stronger, dark beer would cover some of our sins. We knew we weren’t going to sell it and we figured we had a pretty good shot at making a drinkable stout right off the bat.” They also enjoyed drinking stouts themselves. The brewing process was a 13-hour labor of love, and after one sip, Grossman knew it was a success, giving them the confidence to move forward.
