The Dubonnet is a French drink by Pernod Ricard
(Picture: Dubonnet)Fans of the Queen have been reflecting on her normalcy behind the scenes. One fact reported about the Queen is that she loved a cocktail.
The Dubonnet was the Queen’s drink of choice, previously a favourite of the Queen Mother, who once said ahead of an outing: “I think that I will take two small bottles of Dubonnet and gin with me this morning, in case it is needed.”
In fact, the Queen loved the drink so much that she gave Dubonnet a Royal Warrant in November 2021.
The Dubonnet is a French drink by Pernod Ricard, made with a combination of fortified wine, herbs, and spices, with an alcohol content of 14.8 per cent. It is said to taste a little like a sweeter version of Campari.
But how did Her Majesty like to drink hers? Elizabeth II was known to prefer a cocktail of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, garnished with a wedge of lemon, and two ice cubes (or one large ice cube).
The aromatised spirit has complex notes of grape, blackcurrant, and tannins from cinchona bark, nicely offset by the tartness of the gin.
But how is it made?
If you want to make the famous Dubonnet, here’s how to recreate it at home.
Ingredients
60ml Dubonnet
30ml gin
Ice cubes
Lemon for garnish
Method
1. Put a cocktail shaker in the freezer for around an hour to chill (or fill up a glass with lots of ice).
2. Pour your Dubonnet and gin into the shaker, stirring with a bar spoon.
3. Add a lemon wedge or orange twist to a glass, before straining the contents of the shaker over the top.
4. Serve and drink away.
