Phang himself was briefly under water and survived by clinging to a beer barrel. The title "Beer Barrel Polecats" is a pun of the song "Beer Barrel Polka". Behind his feet rests a wooden beer barrel. The jail sequences were reused in "Beer Barrel Polecats". Barrelman (aka "Owgust" and "Beer Barrel Man"), is an auxiliary mascot for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Beer Barrel Man was used by the American League club through the 1977 season. Competitors carry an empty nine-gallon beer barrel, over a 1.5-mile course.