Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Cocktail Is One You've Probably Never Heard Of

Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022 marked the end of a sixty-year reign that oversaw seismic societal changes, not only in the United Kingdom but around the world. When she inherited the throne in 1952, Winston Churchill was still the Prime Minister, and television was such a new medium that the decision to televise the coronation raised eyebrows; some fifty years later, the Queen carried a cell phone and partook in Wii Bowling (with a golden Wii gifted to her by Nintendo). But some things never changed — chief among them her taste for a good cocktail, with her very favorite being a Dubonnet and gin.

Dubonnet and gin was a fairly popular cocktail in 1920s Britain, and while Elizabeth, who was born in 1926, would have been too young to acquire a taste for the drink at that time, her mother (also known as the Queen Mum) was especially fond of them. In fact, the Queen Mum was known to take bottles of Dubonnet and gin with her on long walks and picnics, just in case. It stands to reason that Elizabeth, who was quite close with her mother, would take after her when it came to her preferred tipples. She would drink a Dubonnet and gin every day before lunch, although she had hers with just a little less alcohol than the Queen Mum.

Now, we're guessing you've heard of gin before, but you may be somewhat less familiar with the other half of a Dubonnet and gin. In short, Dubonnet is a kind of aperitif, or pre-dinner drink, made from a base of red wine and a number of spices and aromatics: you may taste blackcurrant, various types of tea, and a whole lot of quince. In fact, the drink was born from an initiative that encouraged liquor makers to find a way to make quinine, an ingredient derived from quinces that helped soldiers stave off malaria, more palatable. (A similar initiative also led to the creation of the gin and tonic.)

Dubonnet had its moment in the sun in the first half of the 20th century, partly thanks to a famous advertising campaign in France with posters that read "Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet" ("it looks good, it tastes good, it's Dubonnet"). Nowadays, though, it's seen as somewhat old-fashioned, a drink for stuffy rich people to imbibe before meals. Still, its association with the British Royal Family has done Dubonnet some good: it received a Royal Warrant in 2021, and the Queen's favorite cocktail was a popular choice during the Platinum Jubilee, which celebrated her 60th year on the throne. (Revelers could have also eaten their eggs like the Queen, with nutmeg and lemon zest, or refrained from using garlic in their dishes, just like the Royal Family.)