It’s already impressive that the Reagan family of CBS’s “Blue Bloods” makes time to eat together week after week. What’s even more incredible is the way that the adults manage to sip on beer throughout the meals without coming to blows over the usual boozy familial issues like which Pope had the best posture, or whether Jimmy Carter was a communist, or if Mark Wahlberg could beat up his brother what’s-his-name from the “Saw” movies.
The secret, of course, is in the magic of filmmaking. Don’t tell anyone, but it turns out that the actors on “Blue Bloods” aren’t actually downing beer after succulent beer during hours-long shoots at the Reagan family table. Is it unheard of for actors to get drunk on set? Not at all, but doing it 22 times a season for 11 years would be what doctors refer to as “hazardous.”
So, what does the “Blue Bloods” props department funnel into those enticingly generic brown bottles? A curious fan asked series star Donnie Wahlberg (that’s the name) on Twitter recently, only to get a real buzzkill of a response.
The Blue Blood alcohol level is lower than you think
“What’s really in that bottle?” a fan asked on Twitter, tagging Donnie Wahlberg and attaching a screengrab of the actor’s character, Danny Reagan, with a bottle of beer in his hand. Wahlberg quote-tweeted the fan’s post and answered, “Water, usually.”
Responses to the tweet ran the gamut from disappointment in the performer’s perceived lack of drunkenness to celebrations of his apparent enthusiasm for hydration. (It’s important to remember that we let this platform inform our presidential election one time.)
“But wait,” you might interject. “Beer isn’t the only thing that the Reagans drink on ‘Blue Bloods.’ There’s wine as well. What of the wine?” You wouldn’t be alone in wondering. “What about wine bottles?” another fan asked in the replies. “Grape juice?”
“Yup,” Wahlberg responded, and like that, another mystery was solved by Detective Danny Reagan.
The Reagans aren’t alone in their decision to fake their way through imbibing on-screen good times. According to Business Insider, substances like carbonated tea and even a special, ultra-low alcohol beverage called “Near Beer” are regularly used to keep performers capable of acting in drinky scenes while keeping both eyes open at the same time.