Does Higgins Drink Beer?

[Hawaii Winds]

Ive seen him drink Brandy, whiskey, tea, scotch, he seems to drink some on some episodes, was beer on any episodes?

[Stelth]

Don't be gauche!

[Pahonu]

Ive seen him drink Brandy, whiskey, tea, scotch, he seems to drink some on some episodes, was beer on any episodes?

Don't forget the wine!

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I think he may have downed some IPA's or pints of Guinness in his days, but at this stage of his life I think beer was probably beneath him.

[Floyd Lewellyn]

I don't recall Higgins ever consuming beer in the show. However, Don Luis Higgins and Magnum have a beer together in the guest house; Don Luis accepts the beer upon learning that Magnum doesn't have any sangria.

[Floyd Lewellyn]

Now that I think about it, there is an episode where Higgins does drink beer: Luther Gillis: File #001 (5.10). When Luther and Higgins go into the Western bar, they both drink beer. Of course Higgins is under the guise of Elmo Ziller.

[Lance Mannion]

Now that I think about it, there is an episode where Higgins does drink beer: Luther Gillis: File #001 (5.10). When Luther and Higgins go into the Western bar, they both drink beer. Of course Higgins is under the guise of Elmo Ziller.

As I recall he ordered, "Two brews ... One for himself, and his Partner - Hubert - AKA ... Luther H. Gillis "

[Reef monkey]

Higgins might have grown up having a pint, but cellar-temperature (not ice cold) English bitters and pales wouldn't be that refreshing for the Hawaiian climate.

I could imagine him having a Tusker, or Safari, or Kilimanjaro lager while on safari in East Africa, or after a day of suppressing communist insurgents in post-war Malaya. Maybe if he is reminiscing of these times, he might have one. But in general he seems more like a gin and tonic or Pimm's kind of guy.

[Little Garwood]

Higgins doesn't come across as having been a pub kind of gent--at any stage of his life. It seems unlikely given the omnipresence of pub culture in the UK, but then again Higgins spent much of his life outside of the United Kingdom.

He was also more of a whisky-whiskey drinker than a Gin drinker; he's no doubt an afficionado of the former.

[Kevster]

Higgins being a beer drinker?

I sensed something more subtle with Higgins character, but it may just be me.

There aren't too many private school kids, who also end up with a Ph.D. in Mathematics, that end up entering and staying as an enlisted member of any military service (US or Britain). There seems to be a quasi-contradiction in the back story when you look at that and the resume Higgins ended up with. However, what I took that to be is a very legit character arc. I sensed that Higgins had evolved from a "rebellious youth" in the sense that he left home and school when his relationship with his father was too strained and the war was on, and that he used the military as an "escape." That's a far too common story: a kid escapes a bad situation via the military as soon as he can... Higgins then became driven to "succeed" and evolve, as many do, to gain the warm acceptance of his relationally distant father, but never FULLY gaining that. That would reconcile the quasi-contradiction that exists in the arc and backstory presented.

So, I would say that his younger years may have been filled with quite a few pints, just as his later years were filled with all the trappings of success and culture: displaying refinement, an emphasis on class, social engagement (EVERY FREAKIN' CAUSE IMAGINABLE), and the resume items that should go with it... AND... Never actually benefiting from a military commission.

Pretty deep for a fictional character on 80's TV, but I would say that JH was the type of actor that would go there. The writers MAY HAVE gone there without him prompting, but JH likely had some input once the series was established. If Roger Mosley, who could be considered a "secondary supporting role" of the ensemble (He and LM shared a trailer, while JH had his own), had his personal stamp on his character, I'm sure JH would too.


My $0.02. Also, sensing that kind of depth is part of the appeal of the original series.

[K Hale]

Well said, Kevster. I will just add that Higgins becoming an enlisted man instead of an officer is explained in the series. He was kicked out of Sandhurst after being framed for a prank that left another boy paralyzed. The war was on, and he enlisted in the army, which is what caused the falling out with his father.

The PhD in mathematics from Cambridge came later, in 1957 I think he said.

And on the main subject, there were several occasions where Magnum offered Higgins a beer and he always turned it down.