Cheers has always felt like the comfiest bar on TV, but even longtime fans are still uncovering the secrets hiding behind its wooden counter. While the laughs flowed freely on screen, the show had a quiet mission brewing in the background: promoting designated drivers. From the very beginning, the writers made sure no character ever drove drunk—a subtle choice that earned praise from anti-DUI groups and inspired more than 160 other shows to follow suit. In total, this movement generated over $100 million worth of free public-safety messaging. Not bad for a sitcom set in a bar.
And those beers Sam tossed around so effortlessly? Completely fake. The cast spent years sipping flat, non-alcoholic ale mixed with salt to mimic foam. It looked great on camera, but tasted nothing like the frosty brews audiences imagined.
Even decades later, Cheers still surprises fans—not just with laughs, but with clever choices and backstage secrets that make the beloved series even richer.
