For Elvis Presley, Gatorade Was The King Of Drinks
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Even though he was known as The King, Elvis Presley's drink of choice isn't what you might expect from rock and roll royalty. Despite being one of the 20th century's most famous celebrities, rather than expensive champagne or imported beers, Presley preferred a humble libation invented to recharge athletes — Gatorade. The sports drink kept him going during live performances, and he can be seen sipping it in archival footage from many of his concerts in the late 1960s through the 70s.
Elvis didn't just enjoy drinking the stuff — he liked joking about it too. During his stint of 57 shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, video footage shows that he would take frequent breaks for a refreshing drink, telling the audience that Gatorade will "aid your gator man, in case you run outta gas" (per YouTube).
He was often seen drinking either of the original flavors, orange and lemon lime, but it was the yellow color of the latter that inspired his potty humor due to its resemblance to urine ... he would quip, "It looks like it's already been used," and would kid that he might have to "leave the stage a few times" or end the show early, presumably so that he could go pee. The beverage also helped him sing by keeping his throat lubricated. As he explained to his fans, "It's very dry here in Las Vegas, and you have to keep your whistle wet" (via YouTube).
The sports drink fit for a king
Elvis Presley was on to something by turning to Gatorade during his high-intensity performances in which he did a lot of dancing and sweating. Gatorade is formulated to give you an electrolyte hydration boost, so it's not surprising that it helped Elvis to refuel and get through his shows. Long before influencers and paid sponsors, Presley was promoting the product for free, telling concertgoers in between songs that it worked "12 times faster than water," and even made wisecracks about owning part of the company — he didn't and was just kidding (via YouTube). His devotion to the product extended past the stage too — the bar on his private jet was also fully stocked with it.
Of course, Elvis drank more than just Gatorade. Mountain Valley Spring Water was his other staple, and he required it on tours as part of his contract. The pure mineral water comes from the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and has been bottled in green glass for over 150 years. Empty bottles of it are on display at Elvis' Memphis home turned museum, Graceland.
Pepsi cola was another of his favorites. As described in the book "The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley" by David Adler, Elvis' shopping list included having a case of Pepsi on hand at all times. Fascinatingly, the shaking of a bottle of Pepsi by songwriter Otis Blackwell inspired Presley's 1957 hit single, "All Shook Up." Coincidentally, PepsiCo now owns Gatorade.
Elvis' favorite foods
Almost as well-known as his music and films was Elvis Presley's love of food. In a documentary with the BBC, his longtime cook, Mary Jenkins Langston, shared many of his favorite meals (per The New York Times). By far the most notable dish Elvis is associated with is the peanut butter and banana sandwich. The seemingly simple combination of banana slices, peanut butter, and white bread went through numerous iterations before The King was satisfied with it. It wasn't until Langston started grilling the sandwich swimming in butter, which would saturate the bread until it was toasted to extra-buttery perfection, that it earned its lofty status in the Graceland kitchen.
At some point, crispy bacon also made its way into the sandwich, possibly inspired by another of his faves, the Fool's Gold, a specialty of the Colorado Mine Company in Denver. The restaurant served an entire loaf of French bread stuffed with peanut butter, blueberry preserves, and one pound of bacon.
According to Langston, Elvis always loved the Southern-style cooking that he grew up with, such as chitlins, pigs' feet, collard greens, biscuits, and cornbread. During his meatloaf and mashed potatoes phase, he ate the dish every day for six months. For dessert, there was a nightly serving of Southern banana pudding. The tasty treat featured vanilla wafers and was topped with powdered sugar meringue. Elvis wasn't the only Presley who appreciated it either as his daughter Lisa Marie also adored the delicacy.