Notables' Potables Drink

What do Jack Lemmon, Willie Nelson, auren Bacall and Earl Campbell have in common? They're all friends of Jack Daniel's. And periodic infusions of Jack Black allegedly help keep Ole Blue Eyes young. But Frank Sinatra, who's inclined to play the field, is also partial to Royal Brandy Ice, a silky blend of California brandy, créme de cacao and English-toffee or butter-brickle ice cream. In Palm Springs, he usually orders a round for the table at Lord Fletcher's, creator of the concoction; like it or not, you get one if you're in the man's entourage.

Drinking preferences of performers and public figures often reflect their creative temperaments and occasionally reveal unexpected personality quirks. The ''21'' Club's deft barman, Bru Mysak, confirms Sinatra's sweet tooth: ''He'll take a Cossack's Kiss--equal parts of Cointreau, vodka and lemon juice--once in a while.'' And who but Woody Allen would flaunt a passion for Stolichnaya vodka and borscht? The Russian Tea Room prepares it for him, straining and chilling the savory beet soup, then mixing it with an ounce of the Stolichnaya in a highball glass. No ice, please; that waters the borscht. The drink has no name, but to the boys behind the bar, it's known as Woody's Borscht Belt. Tony Roberts, who (continued on page 236)Notables' Potables(continued from page 143) appeared as Allen's side-kick in Annie Hall, is a patsy for Le Vert-Galant's Concorde, a soaring mixture of cognac, apricot liqueur and lime juice. Renowned architect Philip Johnson has no truck with bartenders on the logical premise that he is closer to his own taste buds than any mercenary. Waiters at The Four Seasons, where Johnson lunches daily, know the drill. The makings--bottles of Campari, Punt è Mes, club soda and a bowl of ice--are brought to the table, where Johnson takes over, constructing his drink as artfully as he built the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center. On the other hand, Paul Newman is rather easily satisfied--just keep the Heinekens coming and hold the glass. Newman chugs his brew straight from the bottle. Mucho macho.

Political activist turned financier Jerry Rubin is more involved in social activity these days, holding weekly salons at which ''witty people'' meet and mingle over Raspberry Margaritas. French champagne and imported beers are poured as well at the gatherings, and sometimes they're mixed, as in a Blonde Velvet: St. Pauli Girl light beer and champagne in a pilsner glass. And speaking of velvet blondes, Shelley Hack, the Charlie girl and ex-Charlie's Angel, is so enamored of the banana daiquiris at George Martin's that she comes equipped with her own ripe banana--just to be sure. Scout's honor. George Martin's svelte saloon (not salon) is a preferred Manhattan grazing ground for jocks, thespians and high-fashion models. On any given evening, one may catch Bjorn Born backhanding a tall George Martin Special (rum, fruit juices and a nip of passion-fruit syrup), Susie Blakely or Jennifer O'Neill dipping into one of George's double Irish coffees and the former Grace Kelly nuzzling a Minted Squirrel.

The hard-rock crowd enjoys a well-earned rep for hard drinking, but Mick Jagger and company favor piña coladas at the River Café. The drink comes decked with fresh coconut and fresh pineapple, yet bar chief Michael Reith candidly admits to using a Coco Lopez mix for the base, ''because it's better that way than starting from scratch.'' The Café, a converted barge moored under the Brooklyn Bridge, gives solace to hordes of luminaries. Blondie lead singer (and former Playboy Bunny) Debbie Harry finds nourishment in the aptly named Brooklyn Bridge--double-strength bouillon, aquavit, a lemon wedge and a grind of pepper. Cheryl Tiegs gets off on strawberry-cream daiquiris, made with fresh strawberries, heavy cream and dark Barbados rum. Be sure the berries are ripe; otherwise, the drink will be flat. The house Mimosas--champagne and orange juice zapped with Cointreau--soothe somber Al Pacino. John Denver gets a boot out of the Caulfield Kick, a mélange of five juices and two liqueurs primed with 114 Barrel Proof Grand Dad. Carroll O'Connor specifies American whiskey in his highball, plus lots of soda and a splash of ginger ale; Liz Taylor hankers for ginger ale, too (diluted with bourbon); and Ali MacGraw sips framboise, a clear raspberry brandy, as she drinks in the city lights across the river.

Across the country, hard by San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Square Bar ? Grill is a haven for sophisticated bibbers. One W.S.B.?G. original sprang from an act of sheer humanitarianism by co-owner Sam Dietsch. Taking pity on a wretch with a wretched hangover, Dietsch settled him down with a sustaining mixture of cream, egg, brandy, crème de cacao, vodka and nutmeg. Dietsch's Fizz has become a favorite of Sunday brunchers, among whom Stan Getz and Paul Erdman are numbered. The Tubes slug tequila with beer chasers at night and dark rum with orange juice the morning after. W.S.B.?G. regular Ann Reinking opts for the Picon--a tang composition of Amer Picon, soda, brandy and a twist. Former Vice-President Fritz Mondale and San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein are inclined to stay with low-key grogs such as the C.B.A. This classic North Beach digestivo blends coffee, a bit of brandy, anisette float and a twist. To make the drink come off right, use strong, fresh Italian coffee.

Israeli performer Mike Burstyn, who starred in the musical Barnum on Broadway, favors King Solomon's Aphrodisiac. A creation of the Tel Aviv Hilton, the drink is presented in a translucent King Solomon's goblet, made by a 4000-year-old process. It calls for Sabra liqueur, white rum and Jaffa orange juice, shaken with ice and poured unstrained into the historic vessel.

Being well heeled or well known doesn't mean opting automatically for the most exotic or expensive drinks. Larry Hagman, Alan King and Andy Warhol are content with straight gin--Warhol likes his at room temperature. Mary Tyler Moore takes a predinner martini. Joe Namath sips Smirnoff on the rocks or vodka tonics--very cold, and be sure to run a lime peel around the inside of the glass first. Rising star Annie McEnroe's Marrakesh Express starts out white with a shot of Ricard and ice. To that, she adds five parts club soda and a soupçon of blue curaçao, imparting a hazy, mystical tinge to the potion. Without curaçao, the drink is a traditional française.

Nor are the brown spirits shunned on the celebrity circuit. Dan Rowan and Charlton Heston are Scotchniks; Heston's Scottish ancestry surfaces in a taste for Glenfiddich unblended Scotch whisky. Barry Goldwater has learned about a bourbon local to the D.C. area--Virginia Gentleman--that suits him fine. He drinks it with water in a highball glass. CBS anchor man Dan Rather is in the same ball park as the Senator, but his game is Wild Turkey bourbon. Ed Meese, one of the President's key men, is another bourbon aficionado. Before moving to Washington, Meese would indulge in a bourbon old fashioned at Manhattan's Pen ? Pencil Restaurant on occasion: 2 ozs. bourbon, dash of bitters and easy on the sugar.

At last report, the latest bibulous fancy of the glitterati was Ice Tea, which calls for vodka, gin, white rum, Cointreau, club soda and a glug of cola. It's the fashion at Studio 54, land of eternal Halloween; Liza, Bianca, Halston and that crowd quaff it between flings around the dance floor. Beats the hell out of Lipton's!

Recipes for Ice Tea and other celebrity favorites are given in the accompanying box, ''Star-Struck Sips.'' Make them up at home and compare your taste buds with the pampered palates of the famous.

''The Tubes slug tequila with beer chasers at night and dark rum with orange juice the morning after.''