Looks like they’re gonna need a bigger delivery truck.

Narragansett beer is a venerable brand that goes back to 1890. The original operation in Cranston, RI included a barn and stable, a blacksmith, a wagon repair shop for 45 wagons, and then later they added gas-powered trucks, refrigerated train cars, and an in-house ice-making plant. In 1914, the company built the first bottling plant in New England and quickly became the most prominent beer in the region. The brand was the major sponsor of the Red Sox in the 50’s and 60’s, punctuated by announcer Curt Gowdy’s catch phrase, “Hi neighbor, have a ‘Gansett!” But then sales declined, the company was sold to Falstaff, the brand eroded, and by the 70’s Narragansett was low-budget brew for non-discriminating teenagers and blue collar folks.

Ironically, Narragansett’s iconic cultural moment came after its decline. In 1975, down-on-his-luck ship captain Sam Quint chugged a Gansett and then crushed it with one hand, in order to intimidate college-boy researcher Matt Hooper. Yes, it was that scene from Jaws, when Quint, Hooper and Chief Brody are hunting for that killer shark. Released 38 years ago (!), Jaws became the first summer blockbuster, the highest-grossing movie up until that time, and the film that made us all afraid to go swimming.

This summer, Narragansett is trying to recapture some of that notoriety, with a promotion coinciding with Discovery Channel’s Shark Week and the birthday of Quint portrayer Robert Shaw on August 9. They have released throwback cans that feature the 1975 artwork, with its distinctive diagonal red stripe across the label. They’ve also updated their website – taking down the “Gansett girls” calendar and the obligatory dopey tips for summer beach fun – and uploaded a contest encouraging folks to “crush it like Quint.” If you are so inclined, you can produce a video, or paint a picture, depicting what it means to crush it like Quint, and send it in for posting on their site. You could win wicked prizes like a copy of Jaws on Blu-Ray or a boatload of Gansett Gear. What fun.

(Never mind that, when Quint crushed his can in 1975, Narragansett had recently replaced their stiff tin cans with flimsy aluminum, making his manliness a little less than macho. Or that Hooper one-ups Quint by crushing his Styrofoam cup. Or that Hooper ends up safely swimming home, while Quint ends up in the belly of the beast.)

No matter, it’s an iconic moment, and such moments live forever, providing permanent promotional possibilities for a brand past its prime.

So go ahead, neighbor, have a Gansett. Drink the beer. Enjoy the can. Crush it if you like. Join in the fun.

But, please, don’t go in the water.