Bartok: The World of Lilette

Last weekend, I attended my best friend’s bachelorette party, and being a skilled cocktail columnist, I had no intention of going empty-handed.

I considered what would appeal to a group of people I’d never met before and decided that a light, relatively low-alcohol cocktail would be a safe choice, especially if afternoon drinking would lead to evening drinking.So with the intention of making a Lillet Spritz for the group one afternoon, I pulled a bottle of Lillet Blanc off the shelf, grabbed some Champagne, grapefruit, and Topo Chico, and stuffed them in the fridge once we arrived at our Airbnb.

The drink was well received — you can’t go wrong with an afternoon spritzer and be disappointed — but it got me thinking about another Lilette variant on the shelf that I haven’t picked up since receiving it: Lilette Rouge.

Lillet comes in three varieties: Blanc, Rosé and Rouge.

All three of these French aperitif wines are based on Bordeaux wines that have been fortified with fruit wines and aged in oak barrels, but the grapes used vary by varietal: Lillet Blanc is made from Semillon and Sauvignon Black grapes, Rouge is made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rosé, the newest addition to the Lillet family, is made from a blend of all four grape varieties.

I think the reason it sat on the shelf for so long was because of the fact that Rouge was the variety I saw on the shelves that was least used in drinks, combined with the fact that I didn’t know how to best use this deep red aperitif.

However, inspired by my experience trying the Blanc, I decided to now try the Rouge and see where it fits in my Lillet lineup.

Rouge is noticeably richer in flavour than the other two, with stronger berry notes and decidedly fruity. Like the other varieties, Lillet (pronounced Lee-ray) should be served chilled.

In researching recipes for rouge, I started with the source: lillet.com, because I figured the people who know it best would be the ones who make it.

The most commonly suggested way to serve it is as a Negroni, using Lillet Rouge instead of sweet vermouth.

It’s the perfect cocktail — one where all portions are equal — but I did modify the official recipe slightly to make it more standard U.S. portions and more like a typical Negroni (see fact box for recipe). Additionally, the recipe on lillet.com has conflicting instructions — one says to shake and pour into a rocks glass, while the other says to make and serve in a wine glass, so naturally I combined the two and made it in a rocks-style glass, stirred it, and served it.

To be honest, this Negroni was a little too strong for me at first. The strong flavor of the rouge was overpowering, and the gin and Campari were too strong. The Negroni is a spirit-forward cocktail, and this one had a strong spirit punch.

To help pace myself and tone it down, I resorted to a little cocktail science trick I learned recently called the “rice wash.”

This technique involves adding ice, 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice (I used jasmine), and the cocktail ingredients to a mixing glass, stirring until chilled, then pouring into a glass. This helps smooth out the cocktail and reduce any bitterness or harshness of the alcohol.

In the case of the Negroni Rouge, washing the rice reduced competing flavors and the overall dryness of the drink. The result is a smoother, richer Negroni that brings the fruit flavors of the Rouge to the forefront, giving the drink a much improved mouthfeel.

Another way to drink Rouge is in sangria, which Lilett says makes it the perfect aperitif. Using it instead of a traditional wine enhances the fruity flavor of sangria and adds a pleasant body to the drink.

But for my second attempt at a rouge-based cocktail, instead of a sangria I opted for a concoction called “Redheaded Ginger” by Cocktails Distilled, made with ingredients I already had in my fridge.

Simple and to the point, this cocktail is made with ginger beer, Lillet Rouge, and bitters (the recipe calls for grapefruit bitters but I used orange) and served in a tall glass with ice.

It’s bubbly, bright, and the flavors complement each other perfectly, making it Rouge’s answer to an easy-drinking Lillet Blanc/Rose Spritz.

Having tried the Rouge a little, I can see its appeal and flavor, but I think it currently ranks third for me in the Lillet lineup. The Blanc and Rosé are better than the Rouge because they are more versatile, but I still think they are easier to swap out, experiment with, and use with vermouth in other aperitif and cocktail recipes.

Whatever you choose, if you’re not planning on exploring the world of Lillet, put Aperol aside for a while and add this French classic to your summer aperitif list.