Queen Elizabeth recipe
A refined vintage stirred masterpiece blending botanical gin, dry vermouth, and herbal Bénédictine.
Method: Stir ·
Glass: Nick & Nora glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Martini Family
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 oz London Dry Gin
- 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
- 1/4 oz Bénédictine D.O.M.
How to make a Queen Elizabeth
- Select and pre-chill a Nick & Nora glass.
- Add gin, dry vermouth, and Bénédictine to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir thoroughly until chilled and properly diluted.
- Fine strain the mixture into the chilled glass.
- Express the lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.
Garnish
Lemon zest twist
Pro tip
Use a high-quality London Dry Gin and fresh dry vermouth stored in the refrigerator to maintain the delicate herbal balance of the Bénédictine.
History of the Queen Elizabeth
Adapted from a recipe featured in Stanley M. Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide, this sophisticated vintage cocktail balances botanical gin with herbal liqueur and dry vermouth. It serves as a refined tribute to royal heritage and classic stirred mixology.
Flavour profile
Herbal, Botanical, Dry, Complex
Variations
- Queen Elizabeth No. 1 — Replaces vermouth and Bénédictine with triple sec, lemon juice, and a dash of absinthe.
- Queen Elizabeth No. 2 — Swaps gin for brandy, combining it with sweet vermouth and orange curaçao.
- Queen Elizabeth Wine — Omits the base gin entirely, focusing on dry vermouth, Bénédictine, and fresh lime juice.
Practise making the Queen Elizabeth in the free Virtual Bar game.