Royal funerals are certainly more sober events than royal weddings, but just as rare, so I hope everyone will forgive this descendant of English yeoman farmers for being fascinated by the moment. In fact, Nancy and I plan to watch the entire proceeding on Monday, September 19—provided we succeed in recording it all. (We’re interested, but not crazy. The funeral itself is at 6 a.m. ET, which means the processions and “pre-game” coverage begin in the wee hours. We both swore off all-nighters when we graduated from college.)

News coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s passing and the ascent of Charles III to the throne has been swaddled in sidebar stories with a lighter touch—what will happen to her Corgis, OMG William and Harry are talking again, and … her favorite adult beverage, and how to make it. That last point, of course, is right in the Libation Lounge’s sweet spot.

For years, I thought she preferred gin-and-tonics; I’m not sure where I got that idea, but it was only half right. Whatever cocktail she liked best, all reports say gin was definitely involved, but not so much tonic. Apparently the house gin at Buckingham Palace has been Gordon’s (in the green bottle, not the version produced for export from England), despite the recent launch of Buckingham Palace Gin. (Don’t rush to buy the most royal of gins; the Royal Collection website is closed during the official mourning period, as are all royal castles and properties.)

Based on Google search article counts alone, it looks like she preferred a Dubonnet cocktail—a simple riff of sorts on the gin-and-tonic, built in the glass, featuring two ounces of Dubonnet, one ounce of gin, a slice of lemon, and ice.  

However, there is also an undercurrent suggesting that her favorite was actually a Martini. This report apparently originated with Tom Hanks, who sat beside the queen at a state dinner for the Obamas in 2011. He claims that he saw a server pour a “glass of clear liquid that suspiciously did not look like water” for the queen. Then, in his own words: “I dared to ask the queen, “What is Her Majesty’s cocktail of choice?’ and she said, ‘Ooh, Martini.’”

Tom Hanks wouldn’t lie to us, right? I mean, he played Mister Rogers! 

There’s absolutely no doubt that Her Majesty routinely enjoyed Dubonnet cocktails, reportedly even as early in the day as lunchtime, but was it truly her favorite or just a lower-alcohol option to nurse at her many social and ceremonial events? After all, many of us commoners have a ‘party strategy,’ too. For years, my beverage plan at parties has been to nurse gin-and-tonics, with tonic-and-lime spacers between them, but all of my friends know perfectly well that I love nothing more than a fresh, ice-cold, crackling dry Martini.

Without the queen present to answer definitively, we may never know her true preference. My selection for quaffing while watching the funeral proceedings will be … both. Nancy is planning a “proper English breakfast” to accompany. After all, the entire process will go on for hours, so we’ll need all forms of sustenance.

What is Dubonnet?

Dubonnet is a French, vermouth-adjacent aperitif—a sweet, aromatized and fortified wine, but without the strong bitter notes commonly found in “sweet” vermouths made in the Italian or Spanish traditions. 

It was an early entrant to the U.S. market, and we Americans of a certain age must certainly remember that it was widely advertised during our youth, when the brand managers were already trying to get past Dubonnet’s reputation as a “little old lady’s” tipple. Here, for example, is a 1972 commercial featuring Tom Selleck and Farrah Fawcett, God love ‘em. That tongue-in-cheek theme—“Cocktail time, or any time you and your ‘little old lady’ get together”—went on for several years. Let’s enjoy the irony of a ‘little old queen’ helping to rehab Dubonnet’s popularity.

HER MAJESTY’S DUBONNET COCKTAIL
2 oz Dubonnet
1 oz Gin (her choice: Gordon’s)
1 half-wheel of fresh lemon (pits removed)

Her Majesty’s Yeoman of the Cellars (yes, that’s a real job, and I wonder if I’m too old or too American to apply) presents how to make this cocktail in this YouTube video. He has a very particular process, but if it’s not immodest to pick bones with the royal Yeoman, I’d prefer to stir the Dubonnet and gin together with ice before pouring the mix into the glass. I accept the challenges of placing the lemon slice in the glass first, then weighting it to the bottom of the drink with a couple of fresh, perfectly square ice cubes. That is easier said than done; lemon floats.