The Forgotten British Apéritif That’s Making a Comeback

Not everything worth drinking is new.

Some drinks shout. Others whisper. The apéritif does neither. It leans in, raises an eyebrow, and says just enough to keep you interested.

France has its vermouths. Italy has its Campari. But Britain? Britain once had Dubonnet. And we let it slip through our fingers.

The apéritif was never about showing off. It was about preparing. A drink designed to open the palate and slow the tempo. A social marker that the day’s business was done and the evening was about to begin.

In Britain, the go-to apéritif became a quiet blend of gin and Dubonnet. Bittersweet, herbal, and unusually civilised. It didn’t demand attention. It earned it.

For a time, it was the drink of choice for those who knew better — including the late Queen, who had hers before lunch with military precision. But then the world got louder. Brighter. Sweeter. And the apéritif world dimmed.

Until now.

G&D is putting the British apéritif back where it belongs — in the glass, in your hand, and in the sort of company where stories tend to get better as they go on.

It’s bold. Bitter. Beautifully balanced. And entirely too good to keep forgotten.

Consider this your invitation to bring back the ritual.Pre-dinner. Post-mischief. Or wherever the mood takes you.