Lillet
Lillet Blanc is a French aperitif wine at 17% ABV, the figure on Pernod Ricard’s product page. Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, describes it as a blend of 85% Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc wine with 15% fruit liqueurs, made at Podensac in the Bordeaux region; cinchona gives it 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
Sealed, somewhere cool. Opened, chilled with the cap screwed down; it is wine and fades within weeks.
Contains: sulphites. Recipes change: check the bottle.
About Lillet
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
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, in the Bordeaux region, from 85% Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc wine and 15% fruit liqueurs, made by macerating oranges and quinine in brandy, by the account of Difford’s Guide, a secondary source. At 17% ABV it is aromatised wine, as vermouth is under Regulation (EU) 251/2014, 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
Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, says that until 1986 the house's white aperitif was Kina Lillet. Difford’s Guide dates the reformulation to that year, and the bottle 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 (strengths from Pernod Ricard’s and Cocchi’s product pages, dry vermouth our usual range; Kina Lillet’s date from Difford’s Guide)
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 we keep it in the fridge and use it within the first month. Unopened, we keep it somewhere cool. Its simplest use needs nothing else: poured very cold over ice with orange, or topped with tonic for a longer drink.
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
- We keep an open bottle in the fridge and finish it within four weeks.
- Serve it very cold, so the citrus reads as fresh rather than sweet.
- Where an old recipe names Kina Lillet, pour Lillet Blanc for a gentler drink or Cocchi Americano for 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
Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, gives 85% Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc wine with 15% fruit liqueurs, made by macerating oranges and quinine in brandy. Pernod Ricard’s product page lists an infusion of cinchona and gives 17% ABV.
History & Context
Pernod Ricard’s brand page says Maison Lillet has crafted its aperitif since 1872. Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, says Lillet Frères was formed in 1865 by the brothers Paul and Raymond Lillé, and that Lillet Rouge was created 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. The house now belongs to Pernod Ricard, whose own site lists Lillet among its brands.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is Lillet?
Is Lillet Blanc a vermouth?
Is Lillet Blanc the same as Kina Lillet?
Does Lillet need to be refrigerated after opening?
How do you drink Lillet Blanc on its own?
What can I use instead of Lillet Blanc?
How strong is Lillet?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.
- Pernod Ricard, “Lillet” (the owner’s brand page, with label strength and ingredients).
- Difford’s Guide, “Lillet Blanc French aperitif wine” (secondary source: 85% Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc wine with 15% fruit liqueurs, made by macerating sweet oranges from Spain, bitter oranges from Haiti, green oranges from Morocco and quinine from Peru in brandy; 17% alc./vol.; owned by Pernod Ricard).
- Difford’s Guide, “Kina Lillet” (secondary source).
- DrinkBoy (Robert Hess), “Lillet blanc” (secondary source).
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, Article 3 (retained)”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, Annex II (retained)”.
- IBA, “Vesper”.
- IBA, “Corpse Reviver #2”.
- Difford’s Guide, “Lillet: history” (secondary source: Lillet Frères formed in 1865 by Paul and Raymond Lillé; Lillet Rouge created in 1962; Podensac).
From the Guides
Made with Lillet
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Updated 19 October 2026