The Exact Way Elvis Presley Took His Cup Of Coffee

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There's nothing better to wash down a peanut butter and banana sandwich – aka an Elvis — like a cuppa joe. How you take your coffee is an exceptionally personal matter, and for The King of Rock 'n' Roll, his daily coffee preference was (perhaps unsurprisingly) sweet. Presley was famously a Pepsi fan, but when it came to his go-to coffee order, he actually took the beverage less less sugary ... although still sweet. According to Adam Victor's 2008 book "The Elvis Encyclopedia" — a collection of research exploring Elvis' life and habits — Presley took his coffee with half-and-half and a sweetener, typically Sweet'N Low (via the I Need Coffee blog).

Sweet'N Low is made of saccharin, a low-calorie sweetener 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar. It's safe to use in small doses, and many people opt for this alternative as a way to reduce or eliminate sugar from their diets. One four-calorie packet is roughly the equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar in terms of flavor — a perhaps helpful concession to offset many of Elvis' other favorite foods, which included classic Southern banana pudding and pound cake. Sweet'N Low first hit the market in 1957, the same year Elvis dominated radio waves with his hit "All Shook Up." In fact, the years of 1956-1958 are widely regarded as The King's pop culture dominance victory lap, bringing rock 'n' roll to millions. Maybe he drank a lot of Sweet'N Low infused coffee during that time. 

In 2018, Priscilla Presley appeared for an interview with WGN9 Morning News, and revealed that her late husband had a private tendency toward germaphobia — which led to the development of a unique coffee-drinking technique. "When he drank his coffee, he would always drink it close to the handle and not anywhere else, because everywhere else other people would drink," she told the outlet (via Facebook). "He was religious about it, so it was always his cup." According to Presley, Elvis' germaphobia was more intense when he was a child, a propensity that diminished during his adult years.

Per Victor's "The Elvis Encyclopedia," during the mid-1970s, Elvis's morning coffee ritual evolved, according to Dr. Nichopoulus, the singer's controversial physician. The book states, "Elvis' daily regiment was coffee, vitamins and an appetite suppressant (sometimes amphetamine-based) to start the day; he'd also take a decongestant and blood pressure medicine soon after waking up." Still, the larger-than-life performer retained an enthusiastically indulgent appetite to match his persona. During one period, Presley ate his favorite comfort food (meatloaf and mashed potatoes) every day for six months. For a taste of Elvis, foodies can enjoy a drip coffee with cream and sugar — which, in the New York City bodega scene, is known as ordering your coffee "light and sweet." Although there isn't currently a colloquial shorthand for Sweet'N Low, may we posit, "I'll take my coffee 'the Elvis way?'"