What to Drink: Lillet

May 21, 12:04 PMMen's Style ExaminerStile E. Coyote

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"A dry martini," he said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet [...] Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?

When James Bond ordered this drink in Ian Fleming's 1953 book Casino Royale, it got little attention. Lillet instead of vermouth? Crazy. But the double-agent could pull it off.

Can you be enough of a style guy to order (or make) a Vesper and pull it off with the same flair? Chances are, if you don't make it yourself, the bartender won't even know what you're speaking about.

Here's a primer on this French goodness-in-a-bottle.

That mysterious aperitif, Lillet, originally hails from Podensac, in the Bordeaux region of France (80% of the wine is classic white Bordeaux). Well, that's the white, er... Blanc, Lillet. (Avoid the Rouge. It's a waste of time.) Stile's grandmother drank a bottle of this stuff (18% alc.) every two days and lived to be one old-ass Coyote of 91 years.

I prefer to drink the citrus-flavored drink for happy-hour, in a tumbler with a few rocks, and a twist of orange. All while snacking on an amuse-bouche with some new future Mrs. Ex-Coyote.

I've been served this in a martini glass, but I prefer the tumbler. Sip this stuff. Enjoy it's flavors.

Make:
Vesper Martini
3 oz Gin
1 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Lillet Blanc