How Caitlyn C's It

I’m declaring it. Lillet is the official drink of summer 2023.

Caitlyn, what is Lillet?

Well I’ll tell you! Lillet is a French aperitive that comes in three kinds: Lillet Rouge, Lillet Rosè and my precious Lillet Blanc.

Aperitive: having a stimulating effect on the appetite.

Aperitives are super common in some European countries and they serve as a cocktail hour prior to dinner. The true purpose of an aperitive is to kickstart the digestion process but I think it’s an excuse to have more booze. Who’s to judge?

how to drink Lillet

Lillet is not like aperitives like Campari – the staple in the ever-so-popular Aperol Spritz – but more so like a bitter-ish wine. That might not sound appealing but you simply cannot knock it until you try it.

My favorite is Lillet Blanc and it’s similar to a crisp, white wine. According to an article by Food & Wine, the notes are “honey, honey, orange peel or blossom, white floral notes, passionfruit, and slight herbal notes like pine.” But according to me, it’s like a zest of summer in a glass.

There are endless ways to enjoy Lillet. The most common is to combine equal parts Lillet and equal parts tonic water to create a bubbly cocktail. I’m hardcore so I drink it straight over ice, but you can find some creative Lillet cocktails online. Like this article with 10 Lillet variations.

Lillet is a French summer staple and if you’re like me, stuck working in the midwest, it can be your escape from reality. I like to pour a glass over ice and relax outside, listening to my birds. Vacationing is a mindset and Lillet is how you get to it.

Where to buy lillet this summer

If you live in Stillwater, MN, you can find Lillet Blanc at Cellars Wine and Spirts. If you don’t live in Stillwater, figure it out, you have Google too (jk, but you actually can just Google it and find it pretty much anywhere).

Let me know what you think about Lillet or how you get into a vacation mindset by tagging me @CaitlynGarrity on Instagram and Twitter.

*This blog post is intended for audiences 21 years and older. Please drink responsibly.