I last profiled Dubonnet in my March 11, 2014 post entitled OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions (2006) In that movie, the main character suggests a Dubonnet to his companion for the evening. If you don't know what Dubonnet is, here is a brief history lesson.
Dubonnet is a French aperitif whose origins lay with the French Foreign Legion. French chemist Joseph Dubonnet came up with his namesake as a way to make quinine easier to drink for the French soldiers fighting in North Africa during the 1840's. Dubonnet is known as an aromatized wine that is flavored with herbs, roots, flowers, barks, quinine and other botanicals. Dubonnet has a very low alcohol content of 19%.
Now I have yet to taste Dubonnet. I refer you to the article What Is Dubonnet and How Does It Taste? by Oliver Hoss from the Wine Lover Magazine dated September 23, 2020:
The base for Dubonnet is a still wine made from different red grapes...The key to making Dubonnet is to stop the fermentation process early by adding neutral grape brandy. Vintners then mix the must with bark from the Cinchona tree, which is the basis for quinine. They also add cane sugar and several herbs to give the wine its typical spicy taste.
So what does it taste like? I refer back to the abovementioned Oliver Hoss article:
Think of Dubonnet as a combination of fortified wine like Port or Sherry and a herbal liqueur. With an alcohol content of 15% and a thick, almost syrup-like texture, it’s a full-bodied and robust drink. It offers sweet as well as bitter flavors. The latter comes primarily from quinine, which still is a crucial ingredient.Other flavors you can sense include herbs and spices, such as thyme, rosemary, fennel, anise, orange zest, and nutmeg. You might also perceive notes of cacao, raisins, and lavender, as well as earthy or wooden aromas.
In the 1930s, famed French artist Cassandre created the Dubonnet Man ads with the slogan "Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet" which you can see below:
The aperitif was favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth aka the Queen Mother and is favored by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II. Both Queens would get their Dubonnet in a cocktail with gin at a ratio of 70% Dubonnet to 30% Gin with ice and a slice of lemon.
To read more about the drinking habits of the British Royal Family, check out the article How to drink like the Royal family from the UK Telegraph. The recipe in the ad calls for a cocktail of 2 parts Dubonnet and 1 part Vodka with a twist of lemon.
What I find curious is why not try to capitalize on how popular Dubonnet and Gin was with the UK Royals at the time and show that combination in ads here in the United States rather than Dubonnet and Vodka. Was it due to Vodka becoming a more popular spirit here in the U.S. than Gin? Possibly.
If you look at some of the more popular cocktails of the era such as the Harvey Wallbanger, the White Russian, the Greyhound/Salty Dog and the Moscow Mule to name a few are Vodka based cocktails. So maybe that's the reason for Vodka in the ad instead of Gin.
Since 1976 Dubonnet owner Pernod Ricard has produced two variations to the classic Dubonnet Red: Dubonnet Blanc and Dubonnet Gold.
So what do you think about Dubonnet. Like it? Hate it? Meh? Let me know. I'm curious to hear what you think of it.
On a parting note, I'll leave you with a classic Dubonnet commercial from the early 1970's with a pre Charlie's Angels Farrah Fawcett and a pre Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck.
Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
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