[1] Lead singer and guitarist Aaron Barrett was inspired to write the song after noticing bassist Matt Wong and drummer Andrew Gonzales were into drinking beer at the time, and sought to make a song about that, which they immediately supported.

When the song was once again re-recorded for the band's major label debut, Turn the Radio Off in 1996, additional instrumentation was added.

The Turn the Radio Off recording of the song was featured on the compilations Favorite Noise (2002) and Greatest Hit...and More (2006) and additional studio re-recordings are featured as a bonus track on the album We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy (2005) and on the greatest hits compilation A Best of Us for the Rest of Us (2010).

Barrett considers "Beer" to be one of his top ten favorite Reel Big Fish songs.

[2] Despite the song's cult popularity, "Beer" didn't achieve mainstream success on the level of "Sell Out" because of its suggestiveness.