The Beatles Imbibed After Performances In The Most British Way Possible

When we think of rock stars, we typically paint a picture of after-party debauchery and endless cocktails, but in the 1960s, sometimes the libations were more refined — and British, really. Rather than throwing back whiskey bottles, Britain's most famous musicians opted for a pot of tea after a rowdy show. 

The Beatles changed the concept of fandom forever. Beatlemania became a cultural phenomenon, with fans, most notably young women, succumbing to hysteria at the mere mention of the band. Being on the receiving end wasn't always easy. To escape the slew of diehard fans and paparazzi, the backstage post-show became a respite. According to Jean Shepherd, who interviewed the bandmates for Playboy in 1965, The Beatles' dressing room was always stocked with an array of food, cigarettes, and lots and lots of tea. Shepherd followed John, Paul, George, and Ringo around the British Isles that year, watching them perform and then hide out in their happy place behind the scenes. 

In an effort to wind down after shows, The Beatles supposedly ordered a variety of drinks, including Coca-Cola, booze, and, last but certainly not least, tea. Shepherd vividly described the dressing room scene as "a plywood Stonehenge — surrounded by sweaty T-shirts, trays of french fries, steak, pots of tea, and the inevitable TV set." The Beatles had plenty of favorite foods, in addition to a cuppa.

They may have gone on to become musical legends, but at the end of the day, they were still blokes from Liverpool, where tea is part of daily life. Britain's tea-drinking ritual goes back centuries, starting with aristocrats and ultimately becoming a cultural pillar, with citizens now consuming somewhere around 100 million cups of tea every day. Tea was, and is, how the British decompress, whether from a regular day or after a big occasion, such as performing in front of thousands of adoring fans and camera flashes. 

Shepherd isn't the only person who noticed the band's incessant tea-drinking habit. The Beatles were photographed an immeasurable number of times during their heyday, and if tea wasn't in the background, it was front and center. A well-known portrait by Robert Whitaker shows the band holding cups and saucers at Farringdon Studios in 1964 , and there are endless shots of the musicians taking well-deserved tea breaks. Tea wasn't just in the bandmates' cups, it was even in their lyrics. According to The Beatles historian Martin Lewis, more than a dozen songs reference tea, five of which were recorded just months apart in 1967, including "Lovely Rita" and "A Day in the Life."