What Was the Queen’s Favourite Drink?
- Oliver Day
- Sep 22
- 2 min read
A Royal Ritual in a Glass
Forget champagne. The Queen’s daily drink of choice was far more mischievous. Long before lunch, Her Majesty was known to sip a simple but distinctive serve: gin and Dubonnet over ice with a slice of lemon. It was a quiet ritual that became legendary, a very British aperitif that combined strength, sweetness and just enough ceremony.
The Queen’s Daily Drink
Reports from palace insiders often mentioned the same pattern. Before her midday meal, the Queen enjoyed a small glass of gin and Dubonnet, usually in a ratio of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, garnished with lemon and ice. It was not indulgence for the sake of it. Rather, it was a continuation of a distinctly British tradition of the aperitif, a civilised nod to the hours ahead.
The Queen’s favourite drink was gin and Dubonnet, and it was woven into her life for decades. It stood alongside her corgis, her horses and her hats as one of those small but constant rituals that spoke volumes about British taste.
Why Dubonnet Became Hard to Find
There is a reason many admirers of this royal ritual struggle to recreate it. Dubonnet, a fortified wine infused with herbs and spices, once had pride of place in British drinks cabinets. Over time its presence faded. Shelves gave way to trendier aperitifs and imports. Today, Dubonnet can be surprisingly difficult to source in the UK, even for loyalists who want to raise a glass in the Queen’s style.
Alternatives to Dubonnet
So what do you do if you cannot find a bottle? A few aperitifs offer a similar profile:
Lillet Rouge – a French aperitif with sweet, herbal depth.
Vermouth Rosso – Italian, but with the same botanical warmth.
English spiced vermouths – more bitter, yet complex and aromatic.
All are worthy substitutes, but none capture the exact spirit of the Queen’s favourite serve.
G&D — The Queen’s Cocktail, Bottled for Today
That is where G&D comes in. G&D is a ready-to-drink blend of gin and fortified wine, bottled properly in Britain at 22%. It takes the essence of the gin and Dubonnet ritual and makes it effortless. No mixing. No hunting dusty shelves. Just mischief in a glass, ready to pour.
Step Inside the Inner Circle and be first to taste the Queen’s cocktail reborn.
How to Drink It
The Queen preferred her gin and Dubonnet served over ice with a slice of lemon. G&D works perfectly in the same way. Pour it into a coupette or a rocks glass and you have history in your hand.
Of course, the spirit of British mischief allows for variation. Try it chilled at a long lunch, on a shoot weekend, or late at night on a city rooftop. It appears wherever Britain still knows how to misbehave.
Carry On the Ritual
FThe Queen’s favourite drink has not disappeared. It has been rebottled for a new generation. G&D carries the same spirit, strong, unapologetic and distinctly British.
Mischief awaits.
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