Lillet Spritz
ClassicLillet Blanc, tonic, and cucumber. France's aperitif answer to the Aperol Spritz.
Honeyed and floral, with orange peel and light herbal notes from the Lillet, sharpened by tonic's quinine bitterness and cooled by fresh cucumber and mint. Lighter and sweeter than an Aperol Spritz, with none of its orange-red color.
Ingredients
- 3 oz Lillet Blanc
- 3 oz Tonic Water
- 3 Cucumber Ribbons
- 2 Mint Leaves
- Cucumber ribbon · optional garnish
- mint sprig · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Fill a large wine glass with cubed ice.
- 2
Add the cucumber ribbons and mint leaves.
- 3
Pour in the Lillet Blanc, then top with tonic water.
- 4
Stir once, gently, and garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a mint sprig.
The Story
Lillet Blanc — the aromatized wine from Podensac, France, that Ian Fleming's Vesper Martini made famous — has quietly become a spritz base in its own right, promoted heavily by the brand itself over the last decade as a lighter, French counterpart to Italy's Aperol Spritz. Where Aperol brings bitter orange, Lillet brings honeyed citrus and herbs, and tonic water's quinine bitterness stands in for what a bittersweet aperitivo would otherwise supply.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
