Cocktails with Dubonnet/French rouge aromatized wine
Dubonnet rouge is a sweet, red, wine-based aromatized aperitif of the quinquina type, bittered with herbs, spices and a little quinine.
ABV14–19%
Substitutes for Dubonnet/French rouge aromatized wine
Another red quinquina (Byrrh, St-Raphaël)
The closest swap. Use either one for one.
Cocchi Americano Rosa
Sweeter, so use a little less.
Lillet Rouge
Makes the drink noticeably drier. Add half a barspoon of 2:1 syrup per 30 ml.
Sweet red vermouth
At the same amount the body holds but the quinine bite is lost. A dash of aromatic bitters brings some back.
Description
Joseph Dubonnet, a Paris chemist and wine merchant, made it in 1846. The usual story is a French government competition: colonial troops in North Africa needed quinine against malaria and would not drink it. Wine, herbs, spices and enough sugar to cover the bitterness made it drinkable. In a drink this shows as a dry quinine edge under the sweetness, and a substitute has to supply both.
Storage
It is wine-based, so refrigerate it once opened and use it within six weeks.
