Lillet: The Bordeaux Aperitif, Its Styles and Cocktails

Lillet is a French aperitif made from wine and fruit infusions in Podensac, a village south of Bordeaux. It comes in three main styles, Lillet Blanc, Lillet Rosé and Lillet Rouge, each listed by the brand at 17% alcohol. It’s meant to be served well chilled: over ice, with tonic, or in cocktails such as James Bond’s Vesper. This guide covers what Lillet is, how the three styles differ, the two drinks it’s best known for and how long an open bottle lasts.

All brand facts below come from Lillet’s own website.

What Lillet is

Lillet calls itself a French apéritif and describes it as a blend of wines and fruit infusions. According to the brand:

• The wines are French, most of them from growers in the Bordeaux region. Since 2018 Lillet has had partnership and vineyard-planting contracts with local producers.
• The fruit infusions are made by slowly cold-soaking fruits and peels separately in alcohol for several weeks. The liquid is run off, the fruit is pressed, and the liqueurs are blended with the wine.
• The house is the Maison Lillet in Podensac, where the brand says a production team of 10 people makes it.

Lillet also says its aperitifs are vegan.

That makes Lillet a close cousin of vermouth: both are wine-based aperitifs with added alcohol, which in Lillet’s case comes with its fruit liqueurs. The difference is the flavoring. Vermouth is defined by wormwood (our guide to vermouth has the legal definition), while Lillet’s character comes from its fruit infusions. For how both relate to Port and Sherry, see our guide to fortified wine.

A short history

Lillet tells its history this way:

• 1872: Brothers Raymond and Paul Lillet, liqueur makers and wine and spirit merchants, founded the Maison Lillet in Podensac.
• 1887: They created the aperitif Lillet, which the brand calls Bordeaux’s first.
• 1930s to 1950s: Lillet became popular in Britain and could be found in London’s leading bars, the world that, in Lillet’s telling, produced the Vesper in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. It also spread to bars in New York.
• 1962: Lillet Rouge was created for American drinkers with a taste for red wine.
• 2011: Lillet Rosé was launched.

The styles of Lillet

Style	Wines (per Lillet)	ABV (per Lillet)	Lillet’s suggested serve
Lillet Blanc	Mainly Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, aged in French oak	17%	1 part Lillet to 2 parts tonic, orange slice
Lillet Rosé	The same French grapes as Blanc, with its own fruit infusions	17%	1 part Lillet to 2 parts grapefruit soda, grapefruit slice
Lillet Rouge	Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, several months in French oak	17%	With tonic over ice, orange slice
Lillet Blanc 0%	Alcohol-free version inspired by Blanc	Under 0.5%	Not covered here

Lillet Blanc

The original and oldest style. Lillet says it’s made mainly from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blended with fruit infusions and then aged in French oak barrels, and describes it as light and crisp with citrus notes. If those grapes are new to you, our guides to Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc explain both grapes. In our view, Blanc is the one to buy first: it’s the style in both the Lillet Tonic and the Vesper.

Lillet Rosé

The youngest style, launched in 2011. Lillet says it uses the same French grapes as Blanc with a different set of fruit infusions, and describes it as fresh and fruity. The brand says to always serve it well chilled.

Lillet Rouge

Made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit infusions. Lillet says Rouge cuvées spend several months in French oak barrels. The brand’s advice is to serve it “always well chilled”, over ice with tonic and an orange slice.

How to drink Lillet

The Lillet Tonic

Lillet’s signature long drink for Blanc is what the brand calls the Lillet Blanc Spritz. Lillet also sells a ready-to-drink Lillet Tonic, made with Lillet Blanc and tonic water plus natural cucumber, mint and strawberry aromas. Lillet’s recipe:

• 1 part Lillet Blanc
• 2 parts tonic water
• A slice of orange
• Ice cubes

Add ice to a chilled wine glass, pour in the Lillet and the tonic, stir, and garnish with the orange slice. For the Rosé version, Lillet swaps the tonic for grapefruit soda and the orange for grapefruit.

Tip: We’d keep both the Lillet and the tonic in the fridge before mixing. A cold start means the ice melts more slowly and the drink stays less diluted.

The Vesper

The Vesper is a Martini made with gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc. Lillet says the cocktail is said to have been created for Ian Fleming, who put it in his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Two published recipes differ in the proportions:

	IBA recipe	Lillet’s recipe
Gin	45 ml	6 cl (60 ml) Beefeater
Vodka	15 ml	2 cl (20 ml) Absolut
Lillet Blanc	7.5 ml	2 cl (20 ml)
Method	Shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass	Stir in a shaker (or shake), serve in a martini glass full of ice
Garnish	Lemon zest	Lemon zest

The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists the Vesper among its “Contemporary Classics”. In our view, Lillet’s version, with almost three times as much Lillet, is the one to pick if you want the aperitif to stand out; the IBA’s has a higher share of gin and vodka. Either way it’s a strong drink, so one is plenty.

On its own

Lillet also suggests each style simply on the rocks. As an aperitif before dinner, in our view a chilled glass of Lillet Blanc with salted almonds or olives is a simple, classic choice.

How to store Lillet

Lillet gives clear storage advice:

• Unopened: keep it in a cool, dark place and drink it within two years.
• Opened: keep it in the fridge and drink it within three weeks to make the most of its delicate flavor.

That’s shorter than the few months our vermouth guide gives an open bottle of vermouth in the fridge, so buy a bottle you expect to finish. Our guide to how long wine lasts after opening compares it with other wines and aperitifs.

Lillet, vermouth or something else?

If you enjoy Lillet Blanc, a bianco or dry vermouth is the nearest relative, with a more herbal, bitter edge from wormwood. If you like Lillet Rouge, a sweet red vermouth is worth trying.

Wine is for adults of legal drinking age (21 in the US). Please drink responsibly.