Fortified Wine

Lillet

Lillet Blanc is a 17% ABV French aperitif wine from Podensac, outside Bordeaux: mostly Bordeaux white wine blended with citrus liqueurs, with a light quinine edge. The IBA names it in the Vesper and the Corpse Reviver No. 2, and chilled, on ice, with orange, it makes an aperitif by itself.

Quick Facts

ABV17% ABV

Legal categoryAromatised wine

OriginPodensac, Bordeaux, France

Flavour Strengthlight medium

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeAbout three or four weeks in the fridge once opened.

Storage

Sealed, somewhere cool. Opened, chilled with the cap screwed down; it is wine and fades within weeks.

Allergens

Contains: sulphites. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Lillet

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

Citrus peelFloral notesLight honeyed sweetnessGentle bitterness

Tasting Notes

Honey, orange peel and candied citrus over a soft white-wine base, with a light quinine bite on the finish.

A Bordeaux wine, not a vermouth

Lillet Blanc is made in Podensac, south of Bordeaux, from about 85% Bordeaux white wine and 15% macerated fruit liqueurs, mostly citrus. At 17% ABV it is aromatised wine, as vermouth is in law, but its character comes from orange peel and a little cinchona rather than wormwood, so it tastes of honeyed citrus where a dry vermouth tastes of herbs.

It is the bottle that followed Kina Lillet

Until 1986 the house's white aperitif was Kina Lillet. It was reformulated that year and has been Lillet Blanc since. Accounts differ on whether the quinine was reduced: Difford's Guide says it was cut sharply, DrinkBoy says the level never changed. If Difford's account is right, recipes written before then were balanced against a more bitter bottle.

For a drink written for today's bottle, use it as written. For an older one where the bitterness matters, reach for Cocchi Americano.

Lillet Blanc against the bottles it is swapped with

Lillet Blanc

Made in: Podensac, Bordeaux
Strength: 17% ABV
Main flavouring: Citrus liqueurs, a little cinchona
Bitterness: Light

Cocchi Americano

Made in: Asti, Piedmont
Strength: 16.5% ABV
Main flavouring: Cinchona, gentian, wormwood, orange peel
Bitterness: Marked

Dry vermouth

Made in: France and Italy
Strength: About 18% ABV
Main flavouring: Wormwood and herbs
Bitterness: Low to moderate

Kina Lillet

Made in: Podensac, until 1986
Strength: No reliable figure
Main flavouring: Cinchona and citrus
Bitterness: Pronounced

Bottle	Made in	Strength	Main flavouring	Bitterness
Lillet Blanc	Podensac, Bordeaux	17% ABV	Citrus liqueurs, a little cinchona	Light
Cocchi Americano	Asti, Piedmont	16.5% ABV	Cinchona, gentian, wormwood, orange peel	Marked
Dry vermouth	France and Italy	About 18% ABV	Wormwood and herbs	Low to moderate
Kina Lillet	Podensac, until 1986	No reliable figure	Cinchona and citrus	Pronounced

Four drinks, four measures

In the Vesper it is a seasoning, 7.5ml against 60ml of gin and vodka. In the Twentieth Century it takes 22.5ml, with gin, crème de cacao and lemon juice. In the Corpse Reviver No. 2 and the White Negroni it is a full 30ml partner; in the White Negroni it replaces the sweet vermouth and softens the gentian of Suze.

Keep it cold, open and closed

Once opened it is wine, so it belongs in the fridge and is at its freshest for the first month. Unopened, it keeps a good while somewhere cool. Its simplest use needs nothing else: poured very cold over ice with orange, or topped with tonic for a longer drink.

Using it

Using Lillet

Usage

A modifier in gin drinks: 7.5ml in the Vesper, 22.5ml in the Twentieth Century, and 30ml in the Corpse Reviver No. 2 and the White Negroni, where it takes the sweet vermouth's place. Alone, on ice with orange, or lengthened with tonic.

Pro Tip

A Vesper uses only 7.5ml of Lillet, so its freshness matters more than anything else about it. A bottle opened last week and kept cold makes a better drink than one that has stood warm.

Top Tips

Once it is open, refrigerate it and drink it within four weeks.
Serve it very cold, so the citrus reads as fresh rather than sweet.
Where a pre-1986 recipe names Kina Lillet, Lillet Blanc makes a gentler drink and Cocchi Americano a more bitter one.

Possible Substitutions

Cocchi Americano: More bitter, with a clear quinine edge
Dry Vermouth: Drier and more herbal, less citrus

Production Method

A blend of about 85% Bordeaux wine, Sémillon for the blanc, with 15% macerated fruit liqueurs, mostly citrus, and a little cinchona for bitterness. Bottled at 17% ABV.

History & Context

Paul and Raymond Lillet founded their house in Podensac in 1872, and Lillet Rouge was added in 1962. The white was reformulated in 1986 and has carried the name Lillet Blanc since; accounts differ on whether the quinine was reduced, with Difford's Guide saying it was and DrinkBoy saying it was not. Pernod Ricard has owned the house since 2008.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is Lillet?

A French aperitif wine produced in Podensac, just south of Bordeaux, from Bordeaux wine blended with citrus liqueurs, at 17% ABV. Lillet Blanc is the white and the one cocktails use; the house also makes a rouge and a rosé, which rarely appear in classic recipes.

Is Lillet Blanc a vermouth?

No, though both are aromatised wines in law. A vermouth must take its character from wormwood; Lillet's comes from citrus liqueurs and a touch of cinchona. It tastes softer and more citrus-led than a dry vermouth, so the two are not straight swaps.

Is Lillet Blanc the same as Kina Lillet?

It is the successor, not a copy. Kina Lillet was the house's white until 1986, when it was reformulated and sold from then on as Lillet Blanc. Accounts differ on whether the quinine was reduced: Difford's Guide says it was, DrinkBoy says it was not.

Does Lillet need to be refrigerated after opening?

Yes. At 17% ABV it is wine with some fruit liqueur in it, and air starts dulling the citrus as soon as the bottle is open. Capped and cold it stays bright for about a month; left warm, the orange turns flat and cooked in taste much sooner.

How do you drink Lillet Blanc on its own?

Very cold, in a wine glass of ice, with orange; for a longer drink, add tonic water to taste. At 17% a 75ml pour is about 1.3 UK units, under half what a large glass of wine holds, which suits it to the hour before dinner.

What can I use instead of Lillet Blanc?

Cocchi Americano is the closest, with more quinine bitterness. A dry vermouth fills the same role in a pinch but brings herbs where Lillet brings citrus. In a White Negroni or a Corpse Reviver No. 2 either swap changes the drink noticeably, so taste before serving.

How strong is Lillet?

Lillet Blanc is 17% ABV. That makes the 30ml in a Corpse Reviver No. 2 about half a UK unit. The 7.5ml in a Vesper is little more than a tenth of a unit, against 2.4 from the spirits.

From the Guides

The quinine cousins of vermouth

Make something

Made with Lillet

Featured In These Cocktails

Vesper White Negroni Corpse Reviver No. 2 20th Century

Often Used With

Updated 12 October 2026

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