Dubonnet vs Byrrh
Dubonnet and Byrrh both started out as quinine tonic wines in nineteenth-century France, and the UK version of Dubonnet is now made in the very cellars built for Byrrh.
In short
Both are French quinquinas made at the same cellars in Thuir. Dubonnet Rouge is lighter at 14.8% ABV and softer, best known mixed with gin. Byrrh is 18% ABV, richer and port-like, with a firmer quinine bitterness.
| Dubonnet Rouge | Byrrh Grand Quinquina | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Quinquina aperitif | Quinquina aperitif |
| Country | France (Roussillon (Thuir, Pyrénées-Orientales)) | France (Roussillon (Thuir, Pyrénées-Orientales)) |
| Producer | Pernod Ricard (UK and European version, made at the former Byrrh cellars in Thuir, France) | Pernod Ricard (Caves Byrrh, Thuir) |
| Strength | 14.8% ABV | 18% ABV |
| Caffeine | None declared | None declared |
| Sweetness | Sweet | Sweet |
| Bottle sizes | 750 ml | 750 ml |
| UK availability | Widely available | Specialist retailers |
| Style and flavour | A soft, sweet red aperitif wine with dark berry and dried fruit flavours, a gently spiced middle and a light bitter grip from the quinine on the finish. It is lighter in alcohol and less overtly bitter than many quinquinas, which helps explain its long life as a mixer. | Rich and port-like, with ripe dark fruit, cocoa and coffee notes over a fortified wine base. The quinine gives a firm, drying bitterness that keeps the sweetness in check and lingers on the finish. |
Which should you choose?
- Choose Dubonnet Rouge if you want an easy-going aperitif or the royal gin and Dubonnet.
- Choose Byrrh Grand Quinquina if you want more depth and bitterness to sip over ice or lengthen with tonic water.
Read the full profiles of Dubonnet Rouge and Byrrh Grand Quinquina, including sources.