Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Maccarita a special margarita inspired by the Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Apparently, Sir Paul McCartney likes his margaritas with a splash of citrus juice, as he’ll show you below himself. But first, a little history!
The Beatles First Appearance On Ed Sullivan
A short montage of The Beatles’ 1st performance on The Ed Sullivan Show
Urban legend tells the story that Ed Sullivan first heard about the Beatles when he and his wife were at the London airport returning to New York and witnessed 1,500 screaming fans welcoming the Beatles back to England after a successful tour in Sweden. But Ed knew about the Beatles months before that. Jack Babb, who was the talent booker for the show, spent summers in Europe scouting acts for the upcoming season. Babb worked with Peter Prichard, a London-based agent who also worked for Sullivan pitching notable talent throughout the year. Prichard was a friend of the Beatles manager Brian Epstein and more than once brought the Beatles to both Babb’s and Ed’s attention. During the summer of 1963 Prichard even brought Babb to a Beatles concert to see them in person.
After seeing the Beatles reception on October 31, 1963 at the airport, Sullivan finally showed interest in booking the Beatles. Prichard contacted Brian Epstein saying he would broker the deal, but Epstein preferred to handle it alone. On November 5th, 1963 Epstein flew to New York and Prichard contacted Sullivan. Sullivan said he needed an angle to book the group. Prichard let him know that the Beatles had just performed in the Royal Variety Show where they were the first “long-haired boys” to be invited to appear before the Queen (although it was her younger sister Princess Margaret who attended the show). With that angle of information, Sullivan decided to confirm the booking.
On Monday, November 11, 1963 Epstein met Sullivan at the Delmonico Hotel and the deal was done on a handshake. The next evening, producer Bob Precht joined Sullivan and Epstein for dinner at the hotel where Precht was informed the Beatles had been booked for three performances, two live and a third one, a taped rehearsal.
Prior to their debut on the Sullivan show, The Beatles’ record “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was leaked in advance of its planned U.S. release to radio stations across the country. When attorneys for Capitol Records were unable to stop American DJs from spinning the tune, the record label relented and, on December 26, 1963, dropped the album ahead of schedule. The record sold 250,000 copies in the first three days. By January 10, 1964 it had sold over one million units and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was the number one song on the Billboard charts by month’s end. In the weeks leading up to The Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Beatlemania went viral. Radio stations played the band’s music nearly non-stop; teenaged fans sported “Beatle” wigs, and bumper stickers across the country warned, “The Beatles Are Coming.”
The Beatles touched down at New York’s Kennedy Airport on February 7th, 1964. They were met by a throng of reporters and a hoard of three thousand screaming fans. Upon disembarking the plane, The Beatles were whisked to a press conference hosted by Capitol Records in which they playfully answered questions from the media.
When asked “How do you find America?” Ringo Starr jokingly replied, “Turn left at Greenland.”
While The Beatles spent the next two days cooped up at The Plaza Hotel, fans did all they could to get closer to the band. Groups of teenagers set up camp outside The Plaza, some even posing as hotel guests in an attempt to see their favorite group. As the show approached, over 50,000 requests for seats came into CBS. However, The Ed Sullivan Show, which originated from CBS’s TV Studio 50, could only accommodate an audience of 700.
For weeks, celebrities were calling in to get tickets for their kids. Walter Cronkite and Jack Paar scored seats for their girls, while composer Leonard Bernstein tried but failed. Then-former Vice President Richard Nixon’s 15-year old daughter, Julie, became one of the lucky few to get a seat. Even Sullivan himself had trouble getting extra tickets. On his show the week before The Beatles’ debut, Ed asked his audience, “Coincidentally, if anyone has a ticket for The Beatles on our show next Sunday, could I please borrow it? We need it very badly.”
It should be remembered that while this hullabaloo was happening, there was still an air of gloom in America. Just 77 days prior to The Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan, President Kennedy had been assassinated. By now, the country was ready for some much needed diversion, and it came in the form of four young lads from Liverpool – their sound, their look, their energy and their charisma.
At 8 o’clock on February 9th 1964, America tuned in to CBS and The Ed Sullivan Show. But this night was different. 73 million people gathered in front their TV sets to see The Beatles’ first live performance on U.S. soil. The television rating was a record-setting 45.3, meaning that 45.3% of households with televisions were watching. That figure reflected a total of 23,240,000 American homes. The show garnered a 60 share, meaning 60% of the television’s turned on were tuned in to Ed Sullivan and The Beatles.
Ed opened the show by briefly mentioning a congratulatory telegram to The Beatles from Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom Parker, and then threw to advertisements for Aero Shave and Griffin Shoe Polish. After the brief commercial interruption, Ed began his memorable introduction:
“Now yesterday and today, our theater’s been jammed with newspapermen and hundreds of photographers from all over the nation, and these veterans agreed with me that this city never has witnessed the excitement stirred by these youngsters from Liverpool who call themselves ‘The Beatles.’ Now tonight, you’re gonna twice be entertained by them - right now, and again in the second half of our show. Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles! Let’s bring them on.”
At last, John, Paul, George and Ringo came onto the stage, opening with “All My Loving” to ear-splitting screeches from teenaged girls in the audience. The Beatles followed that hit with Paul McCartney taking the spotlight to sing, “Till There Was You.” During the song, a camera cut to each member of the band and introduced him to the audience by displaying his first name on screen. When the camera cut to John Lennon, the caption below his name also read “SORRY GIRLS, HE’S MARRIED.” The Beatles then wrapped up the first set with “She Loves You,”
Modern Day: Paul Makes Drinks With His Daughter Mary
While Ed Sullivan may have been part of the explosive start of Paul McCartney’s career, he’s become famous for many things in the years since. From his unparalleled music career, to his animal rights activism, from being knighted, to even the way he enjoys his sandwiches.
Paul is even semi-famous for his signature cocktail, a special version of a margarita—something he’s admitted in interviews is his go-to drink when he gets off stage and is in the mood for it. Paul recommends you only drink one though.
Paul’s Maccarita has the basic components of a margarita, but uses freshly squeezed clementine (or orange) juice for even more brightness and flavor. Further, instead of being served on the rocks, it’s shaken with ice before serving, “because it’s very nice when it’s cold,” the former-Beatles singer shares.
According to his daughter Mary, the Maccarita is Paul McCartney’s all-time favorite drink to prepare for friends and family at home. In a segment of her Discovery Plus show, "Mary McCartney Serves It Up," she even made the drink with her famous dad, as you can see here.
As a salute to Paul, and his famous bandmates’ first appearance on the legendary Ed Sullivan show, we give you Paul McCartney’s own recipe for a margarita, today’s Drink Of The Day, a Maccarita.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
