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Gin & Dubonnet
A very British way of drinking
Why Dubonnet, not vermouth
Gin and Dubonnet is often described today as a variation on Gin and vermouth. Historically, that is incorrect.
British drinking culture favoured Dubonnet for a reason. Italian vermouths developed alongside a different style of eating and drinking and tend to be sweeter or more assertively herbal. Dubonnet offered bitterness without heaviness and complexity without noise. It suited British food, British pacing, and British ideas of restraint.
Once Dubonnet is replaced with vermouth, the drink changes entirely.
A fuller explanation of the distinction is set out in Dubonnet vs Vermouth, but the short version is simple. The choice of Dubonnet is what makes the drink what it is.
Where G&D fits
G&D exists to preserve Gin and Dubonnet as it was meant to be understood.
It is a bottled expression of the classic drink, balanced once so the ritual is always right. No substitutions, no modern embellishment, and no need to second guess proportions.
If you want to drink Gin and Dubonnet properly, this is the simplest way to do it.
Try G&D or read more about the drink itself.
A British habit worth understanding
Gin and Dubonnet was never a trend. It was a habit.
Understood on its own terms, and poured with restraint, it remains one of the most characterful and quietly confident ways Britain has ever raised a glass.
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G&D. Nothing mixed. Everything considered.
Why it mattered in Britain
Dubonnet’s place in British life was not accidental or fleeting. It was a familiar and trusted part of pre meal drinking for decades.
It was famously favoured by the Queen Mother, and later by Queen Elizabeth II, who was known to take Dubonnet with Gin before lunch. This mattered not because it was glamorous, but because it was habitual. Preferences of that kind only form when something fits naturally into daily life.
The association reinforces what the drink already suggests. Gin and Dubonnet was not a novelty. It was a norm.
How it was traditionally drunk
Gin and Dubonnet was a pre dinner drink, but not in the modern sense of garnish or display.
It was poured cold.
Measured loosely but consistently.
Served without fuss.
The emphasis was always on balance rather than strength, and on ritual rather than recipe. It marked the transition from day to evening, not the beginning of a performance.
The traditional approach to serving is described in The G&D Ritual, but the principle is straightforward. Get the balance right, then leave it alone.
Why it faded from view
Gin and Dubonnet did not fall out of favour because it stopped being good. It faded because drinking culture moved around it.
Brighter flavours, louder cocktails, and more performative serves became fashionable. Drinks became something to present rather than repeat. Dubonnet was quietly replaced by easier substitutions and broader labels.
Today, people often ask what to drink instead of Dubonnet. The more interesting question is why it was replaced at all. That shift, and what filled the gap, is explored further in What to Drink Instead of Dubonnet.
Why people are talking about it again
Gin and Dubonnet has not returned because it was rediscovered. It returned because it was remembered.
It continued to be poured quietly, mentioned in passing, and recalled fondly. In recent years it has begun to resurface in conversation and writing, usually followed by the same question. Is it actually any good?
The answer is that it always was.
G&D: Built On The Gin & Dubonnet Ritual
Because Britain still values things that do not shout.
Because not every drink needs a story about being discovered on a rooftop in Brooklyn.
Because there is something quietly radical about a pre-dinner drink that has nothing to prove.
Gin & Dubonnet is part of a wider pattern.
A return to small, deliberate rituals.
A preference for things that last.
G&D exists to make that ritual easier to keep.
Gin and Dubonnet is a classic British drink that was once so familiar it rarely needed explanation. For much of the twentieth century it was poured before lunch or dinner, ordered without ceremony, and understood without fuss. Over time, as drinking culture changed, it slipped from everyday view.
It did not disappear. It was simply replaced by louder alternatives and broader categories. As a result, it is now often half remembered, frequently misunderstood, and commonly confused with other European drinks that look similar but behave very differently.
This page explains what Gin and Dubonnet actually is, why Britain chose it, and why it still makes sense now.
What gin and Dubonnet actually is
At its simplest:
Two parts Dubonnet. One part gin. Served very cold with a slice of orange.
Dubonnet is a fortified wine aromatised with herbs and quinine. It is gently bitter, softly spiced, and drier than many people expect. When paired with gin, it produces a drink that is structured rather than showy. Dry, but not sharp. Aromatic, but not perfumed.
It was never designed to impress. It was designed to prepare the palate and steady the appetite.