(Ph. © Genevieve Garruppo/Lonny)
Aside from the monthly cocktail series I host here on Lonny, Happy Hour is a luxury in which my friends and I very rarely get to indulge: we're either at work or in transit between that magic time from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and miss the daily festivities. What the French call Aperitif Hour is much more my speed. For those who don't know, the aperitif is a small cocktail served right before dinner to stimulate the appetite. I can't think of a better drink to sip while celebrating this pre-meal ritual than Lillet, so we had them stop by our office to show us six ways to enjoy this lovely French wine.
Blanc on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Blanc
Pour Lillet Blanc into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice.
Rosé on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Rosé
Pour Lillet Rosé into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Rouge on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Rouge
Pour Lillet Rouge into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice.
Lillet Rosé Spritzer
-- 1 part Lillet Rosé
-- sparkling soda (we used grapefruit-flavored Perrier)
-- fresh berries
Pour Lillet in a wine glass; add fresh berries and ice. Top with soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Lillet Sangria
-- 1 part Lillet Rouge
-- diced fresh fruit of choice (berries, apples, grapes, oranges, etc.)
-- lemon-lime soda
-- ½ part fresh lemon or lime juice
Build cocktail over ice in a wine or Collins glass and stir to combine. Top with soda and garnish with an orange slice.
Va-Va Blanc
-- 2 parts Lillet Blanc
-- 3½ parts chilled sparkling wine
-- 2 dashes of orange bitters
-- 1 long orange twist
Pour Lillet Blanc directly to a Champagne coupe; add orange bitters. Top with chilled sparkling wine and garnish with long orange twist.
Lillet Rouge, Rosé, and Blanc. (Ph. © Genevieve Garruppo/Lonny)
For purists, all you need is a generous pour of the Lillet of your choice—Blanc, Rosé, Rouge—over ice and a refreshing garnish, such as a slice of orange or grapefruit. See the first three recipes below. Those with more adventurous palates might prefer to try one of the following three recipes. Having suffered an afternoon personally vetting each of these drinks, I can assure you that they passed the Lonny taste test with flying colors. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.Blanc on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Blanc
Pour Lillet Blanc into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice.
Rosé on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Rosé
Pour Lillet Rosé into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Rouge on Ice
-- 1 part Lillet Rouge
Pour Lillet Rouge into a wine glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with an orange slice.
Lillet Rosé Spritzer
-- 1 part Lillet Rosé
-- sparkling soda (we used grapefruit-flavored Perrier)
-- fresh berries
Pour Lillet in a wine glass; add fresh berries and ice. Top with soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Lillet Sangria
-- 1 part Lillet Rouge
-- diced fresh fruit of choice (berries, apples, grapes, oranges, etc.)
-- lemon-lime soda
-- ½ part fresh lemon or lime juice
Build cocktail over ice in a wine or Collins glass and stir to combine. Top with soda and garnish with an orange slice.
Va-Va Blanc
-- 2 parts Lillet Blanc
-- 3½ parts chilled sparkling wine
-- 2 dashes of orange bitters
-- 1 long orange twist
Pour Lillet Blanc directly to a Champagne coupe; add orange bitters. Top with chilled sparkling wine and garnish with long orange twist.
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