Dubonnet can be traced back to 1846 by Joseph Dubonnet, in response to a competition run by the French Government to find a way of persuading French Foreign Legionnaires in North Africa to drink quinine. This was due to quinine being known to combat malaria but is very bitter. Dubonnet soon grew into a world-renowned apertif.
Pernod-Ricard took over as owners in 1976. It is available in Rouge, Blanc and Gold (vanilla and orange) varieties. Dubonnet is commonly mixed with lemonade or bitter lemon, and forms part of many cocktails.
Dubonnet is a sweet, aromatised wine-based aperitif. It is a blend of fortified wine, herbs, and spices (including a small amount of quinine), with fermentation being stopped by the addition of alcohol.
