The Alcohol On It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Isn't What You Think It Is

A running gag known to devotees of the FX sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is that the owners of Paddy's Pub are constantly shown day-drinking. It's not unusual for an episode's title card to show the time as 9:30 a.m., and Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) will be already sitting around the bar holding beers. Many of the episodes involve excessive drinking and partying. Season 10, Episode 1, "The Gang Beats Boggs," actually centers on the gang's contest to beat the amount of beers legendary Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs supposedly drank on a flight. 

"The Gang Gets Quarantined" even confirms that the main characters are alcoholics when they mistake their withdrawal symptoms for the flu. However, as is fitting for these delusional friends, they decide to "keep an eye" on the problem rather than take any steps towards sobriety.

The show has had a product placement deal with Coors for several seasons and the characters are often shown using their bottles. However, if "Always Sunny" viewers believe the cast members are actually drinking those beers on set during every take, they can think again.

As with many other television shows that feature drinking, the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" production mostly uses prop beers on the set. On an episode of the show's podcast, Charlie Day explained that typically the cast is shooting early in the morning and they have to work for hours on different scenes, then drive home, so no one ever wants to drink anyway. Glenn Howerton also offered a not too serious reply to a 2014 Reddit AMA question about alcohol, writing, "We NEVER drink on set. It's 'bad for insurance' and we would NEVER want to put the show at risk.... NEVER!!!!!"

On the podcast, show creator and actor Rob McElhenney, along with Day and Howerton, did cop to several times when they deviated from this no-drinking-on-set policy, including, but not limited to: last scenes before production wraps; during the performance of a live show; during an outdoor night shoot; and, oddly, as Day describes, "I was drinking beer with my grandma in my scene where I'm playing the piano with the Red Hat Ladies in Philly."

Day also says that one crucial guest star possibly imbibed on set as well. In an appearance on The Tonight Show, Day revealed his suspicions that Wade Boggs, while filming his cameo on the show (shown above), had actual beer with him. But the "Horrible Bosses" star seemed less offended than astonished at Boggs' massive tolerance, even late in life.