How Did A 16 oz. Can Of Lawson's Sip of Sunshine Get On a Plane And Into a Movie?
A post on social media transformed into a bigger discussion that remains a mystery,
A photo that appeared on social media this week was a masterclass in "if you know, you know." A passenger on a flight is seen holding a can of Lawson’s Finest Liquids’ Sip of Sunshine (brewed in Waitsfield, Vermont), perfectly angled toward their screen. The in-flight movie? The Gerard Butler thriller, Plane.
At first glance, it’s a clever visual pun. But the real story isn't the photo—it's what the photo is pointing at. Because if you look closely at the movie itself, something amazing happens. In a scene on the doomed flight, a passenger is briefly shown drinking from a 16-ounce can that looks uncannily like a Sip of Sunshine.
This changes the question from "how did that traveler get a beer on a plane?" to the much more intriguing, "how did Vermont’s beloved Sip of Sunshine get a cameo in a Netflix thriller?"
The scene is dark, the lettering obscured, but the can's size, shape, and distinctive yellow-and-blue coloring are unmistakable to a Vermonter's eye. So, how did it get there?
Was this a deliberate, brilliant piece of product placement? Did the prop master for Plane have exceptionally good taste, stopping by a Vermont bottle shop before heading to the set? Or is it possible that in the cinematic universe of Gerard Butler action flicks, the airline's beverage service includes one of the most sought-after Double IPAs in the country?
The thematic fit is perfect. In a film where a plane is about to fall out of the sky, what could be more poetically defiant than a character enjoying a literal "Sip of Sunshine"? It’s the kind of gallows humor and quiet optimism we appreciate here in the Green Mountains.
The social media photo, then, isn't just a pun. It's a mirror. A Vermont beer lover, holding their can, watching a character in a movie hold what appears to be the very same can, on a plane, in the movie Plane. The layers of meta are staggering.
We may never know if it was an intentional nod or just a happy coincidence. But either way, it’s a perfect choice. It seems that even in the face of certain on-screen disaster, bringing a can of Vermont-brewed sunshine along for the ride is always the right call.