Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Cocktail Only Needs 2 Ingredients
There has always been a fascination with what the royals eat and drink, from the easy cheesy pasta Princess Charlotte favors to the humble beans on toast Queen Camilla loves. It's known that Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a regular tipple; the late monarch was reported to quaff four cocktails a day, and one in particular was her favorite. This cocktail contains only two ingredients.
Her Majesty's signature drink is the Dubonnet and gin cocktail, made with, you guessed it, Dubonnet and gin. Her cocktail consists of two parts Dubonnet (a fortified wine-based aperitif) and one part gin, a mixture shaken with lots of ice, strained, and poured over a slice of lemon. According to former royal chef Darrin McGrady, this was her first cocktail of the day and served before lunch.
It may sound shocking that the Queen of England was drinking before lunch. However, Dubonnet is an aperitif, a liqueur meant to stimulate the appetite. While it's perfectly acceptable to enjoy aperitifs like Anthony Bourdain's favorite negronis before lunch, in the late Queen's case, it was essential.
An English Royal Warrant for a French aperitif
You may have never heard of Dubonnet. It was invented in 1846 by French wine seller and chemist Joseph Dubonnet as a medicinal tonic. One of the ingredients in this aperitif is quinine — the ingredient in tonic water — which was used as a treatment for malaria.
Despite being a product of France, Dubonnet was issued a Royal Warrant to the British Queen in 2021. A monarch issues royal warrants to beloved companies or products that supply the family with goods; it acts as a stamp of approval and can boost the brand. Once Queen Elizabeth issued the Royal Warrant to Dubonnet, sales increased 100%. Warrants expire upon the death of the royal, however, King Charles III extended Dubonnet's after taking the throne.
The Queen's favorite cocktail is slightly bitter from the Dubonnet but is described as botanical and aromatic. The Dubonnet and gin cocktail wasn't only popular with Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother was also fond of it. In fact, she directed her staff to pack gin and Dubonnet for a picnic in case of a cocktail emergency.