My favourite drink as a child was tap water. I’d come in from playing badminton with my younger brother Dominic to drink straight from the tap. My mother got annoyed and smacked me round the lips once for doing that. She was a funny woman who came from Liverpool.
I grew up in an Italian family, so we often had wine with lemonade in it. It tasted sweet to me, like fruit juice. Marvellous.
In 1968 when ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ came out I was served my first drink, aged 19, in a pub on Lambeth Walk opposite our recording studio. I’d dreamt I had a milk stout with Ena Sharples from Coronation Street, so I ordered one. I couldn’t believe how grim it was.
I’m a healthy f**ker now, so I start the day with about 20 laps of our pool, then I make smoothies with the wife, Eileen. Banana, blueberries, pear, apple, spinach, broccoli – anything to stay alive.
You’re joking if you think I’d ever buy a bottle of wine. I don’t like the taste. We get presents of wine from friends and then they come around to drink it. I love that.
My first date with Eileen was in Amsterdam when I lived there. I’ve known her since I was 20. We had gone to a little Italian restaurant and started drinking margaritas and shots. We had to get a cab home even though it was barely a three-minute walk.
I love Fever-Tree tonic water. It’s the carbonated burn at the back of the throat. I’ve cut it out for a while because it isn’t good for us singers.
Francis had a memorable shandy at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel
I once had a shandy at the downstairs restaurant of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in front of that massive aquarium. We’d been invited by some sheikh-type person who came to us after a gig and said, ‘I want to buy your group.’ He wanted to give us £12 million to do whatever he wanted. I said he could have us for £120 million.
The most stylish drink is a tonic water with Ocean Spray cranberry juice. But I knock it back so quickly that the elegance goes out of it.
My first-ever margarita was with Queen at a Mexican restaurant in Montreal. There were margaritas all over the table, so I had six. We were good mates with Queen, although Freddie put me in a headlock at Live Aid.
His first margarita was with the band queen
They had a bar backstage at Live Aid. We were on stage first, then we couldn’t get out of the stadium. I sat at the bar most of the day, nodding at people as they walked by. Elvis Costello looked the other way. I seemed to wind him up by just existing.
The most famous person I’ve had a drink with was the actual Queen. I’d never been a royalist, I just didn’t get it. Then you met her. She was delightful.
The worst drink I ever had was Fernet-Branca in Sweden. It tasted like the medicine we had as kids: f**king horrible.
The person I’d have most liked to share a drink with is Pavarotti. I’d like to hear him sing againnbecause I grew up with opera.
The best advice ever given to me over a drink is, ‘Go to bed’.
I’d serve Lambrusco at my funeral. I’m that horrible about alcohol these days and I don’t necessarily see it as a good time any more. So if you want a good drink, don’t come.
‘An Evening of Francis Rossi’s Songs from the Status Quo Songbook and More’ tour runs until November. For dates and tickets visit francisrossi.com