To think the Queen had strange taste in drinks?

[Inextremis]

I was watching a documentary about what the royals eat - and it was mentioned that the late Queen's favourite drink was equal measures of Gordon's gin and Dubonnet, with a couple of ice cubes. Well, I thought - I've never had Dubonnet, so why not give it a try? I've never been a fan of gin, but thought that maybe the Dubonnet improved the taste in some way. It did not. The drink is bitter and slightly sour. Does anyone drink this and really like it? I'm surprised that, with access to literally any drink on the planet, the Queen chose this. I certainly shan't be drinking it again!

Proper Budweiser, not the American abomination, is quite good for that type of beer.

I thought it was G&T. I once read a palace-insider anecdote about her calling out to a couple of her flunkeys - ‘When are you two old queens going to bring this old Queen her G&T?’

I loathe sweet drinks and love a negroni or a cardinale. So gin and Dubonnet or Campari would be delicious to me.

I always thought my favourite drink was the negroni, until I tried gin and Dubonnet. I think it's wonderful.

Going to see them next month and I can’t wait!

Dubonnet over ice with lemon is delicious. The gin just adds extra oomph.

I used to like Dubonnet & bitter lemon as a teenager! Very 1979s.

Dubonnet is basically similar to Vermouth, so mixed with gin or vodka it makes a Martini cocktail and can also be used in Negronis. Dubonnet contains quinine (like tonic water) so it has a naturally bitter taste. Dubonnet was very, very popular from the 1930's right up to the 1970's, so it would've been a regular cocktail ingredient for that age group. It also kicks like a mule when mixed with gin.

My granny used to enjoy a "gin & It", too. The gin had to be Gordon's Export, she wouldn't tolerate the cheap stuff.

I'm surprised she wasn't permanently pissed, tbh. She'd always have a drink before dinner, often a glass or two of wine with dinner and a brandy afterwards, and a single malt nightcap before bed.

She lived to the ripe old age of 98, so I reckon all the alcohol acted as a preservative.

Nah, she was a snakebite girl!

I decided to try James Bond's Vesper Martini one evening whilst cooking the dinner. I don't advise it. The cocktail was very nice, but my cooking skills decreased significantly with every sip.
Three measures of gin, one measure of vodka and a measure of Lillet.

I loved Dubonnet and bitter lemon as a teen - haven't had it for probably 40 years. I didn't even know you could still get it!
My drink of choice these days is a G&T, so maybe I should give the G&D a go!

Dubonnet and lemonade is lovely. I discovered it in the summer.

The very lovely Lorraine Chase and very funny Leonard Rossiter if I remember correctly! Oh how time flies......

Leonard Rossiter was the Cinzano ad with Joan Collins ☺️

I like a bitter drink, even tonic on its own, and I like gin drinks in general, but I've never tried it with Dubonnet.

Came here to say this 🤣

Oh come on snakebite and black for the classy lady.

In fairness, she probably only had the one drink before dinner. If she’d been drinking G&T it would get drunk too quickly.

I don’t think mixing two drinks you don’t like is going to improve either of them!

My grandma who’s recently turned 90 loves Dubonnet!

I’m here!! Also a bucket head 🤭

Both

It's sweeter and lower alcohol than a negroni

They had one before lunch

I used work for a venue in central London about 10 years ago and we were given a little plastic bottle of vodka and a bag with a lime wedge in it by Charles’s security for his vodka on the rocks when he attended an event there.