Queen Elizabeth II has carried on the tradition of drinking her late mother's preferred aperitif,
The experts added: "Lillet is a great replacement if you enjoy drinking Dubonnet by itself, as a chilled wine drink straight from the fridge. "Dubonnet is sweeter and more oxidized, while Lillet has strong tannins and fresh grapes.
The former royal chef Darren McGrady has previously reported that the British sovereign was a fan of gin - especially a dry martini - but that her favourite tipple of all is this simple, two-ingredient cocktail: the gin and Dubonnet.
The queen also had dry gin martini and this secret was revealed by her cousin Margaret Rhodes. And finally, the queen had her last drink of the day, a glass of champagne before she went to bed.
The fortified wine contains herbs, spices and quinine, the malaria-fighting but very bitter ingredient that gives Dubonnet a bit of an edge. Served straight, Dubonnet has a viscous mouth feel and a spicy, fruity taste; something like Campari meets sweet vermouth.
Taste: More like a Port or sweet sherry than anything else, with the herbs adding depth and complexity, anise (?) rosemary, fennel, angelica, wood and spice aromatics. The finish is long with slightly astringent notes at the end.
Born as a medicinal drink, Dubonnet lately has been difficult to find on store shelves, because it is known widely to have been a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II — so much so, that in November 2021 the queen gave Dubonnet the Royal Warrant of Appointment, a recognition of regularly supplied goods or services to the ...
WATCH: The Queen's daily diet revealed
According to the Queen's former royal chef Darren McGrady, Her Majesty's favourite gin brand was Gordon's London Dry Gin.
The Dubonnet available in the US is now American-produced and is made from California wine that has been fortified with grape brandy.
Aperitif Wines: Like vermouth, many aperitifs and aromatized wines such as Lillet, Dubonnet and Bonal have a wine base. Because they're also flavored with flowers, roots and herbs, it's best to keep them refrigerated to keep those delicate flavors from fading or souring.
It can be sipped neat, over ice, or blended into drinks. The Queen's preferred cocktail is the Dubonnet and gin, which is the most often consumed Dubonnet-based beverage. Dubonnet, gin, and a lemon slice are used to make it.
After dinner drinks are often referred to as digestifs. Digestif is actually the French word for “digestive,” meaning they are exactly what the name suggests: alcoholic beverages typically served after a meal to aid digestion.
Dubonnet is a French aperitif owned by Pernod Ricard made from a blend of fortified wine, with herbs, spices, including black currant and tea varietals and quinine. The aperitif was invented by a wine merchant and chemist in France called Sir Joseph Dubonnet.
Queen Elizabeth II
The Queen and her mother both shared the same taste in alcohol. Their preferred drink is a Gin and Dubonnet: three parts Dubonnet, seven parts gin, with lemon and a lot of ice. The Queen is said to drink one every day before lunch – one of four drinks she has been reported to enjoy daily.
Dubonnet has always been seen as the expression of a tradition and a French art de vivre admired the world over. Naturally flavoured by plants and spices, this elegant wine-based aperitif from France is patiently aged in oak barrels in cool, dark cellars.
Nutrition: One serving of Dubonnet Cocktail No. 1 contains 134 calories.
Some examples of liqueurs on the lower end of the sugar spectrum include amaretto, with 3 grams per ounce, and Bailey's Irish Cream, with 6 grams per ounce. On the higher end of the spectrum are liqueurs such as Galliano herbal liqueur and Kahlua coffee liqueur, both of which contain 11 grams of sugar per ounce.
Unlike other vermouths, Dubonnet is mistelle-based. This liqueur undergoes no fermentation; instead it's made with fortified grape juice to which the quinine is added. The taste is richer and sweeter than other vermouths so if you like your vermouth dry, Dubonnet probably won't be in your drinks cabinet.
France- A wine based aperitif flavored with herbs and spices.
If a bartender is sticking to the original recipe of a classic cocktail they should not replace one for the other. A quinquina, like Dubonnet shouldn't be used in place of a vermouth, like Martini Rosso, in a Martinez, for example, because they are different products, not just different brands.
Akin to red vermouth, Dubonnet is a sweet fortified wine that goes well in a cocktail, but is equally tasty drunk chilled, on its own.
Elizabeth II was known to love a Dubonnet, a French drink by Pernod Ricard which combines fortified wine with herbs and spices – so much so that she gave it a Royal Warrant in November 2021. She preferred a cocktail of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, garnished with lemon.
It is currently produced in France by Pernod Ricard, and in the United States by Heaven Hill Distilleries of Bardstown, Kentucky. The French made version is 14.8% alcohol by volume and the US version 19%.