Keeping Lillet?

So, I'm not 100% sure what Lillet is, but I believe it's a wine / bitters concoction.

My wife is a fan of Lillet Blanc over ice as a summer aperitif. So, I wanted to buy a bottle to have around the house, but.....

Is Lillet like a wine in that it has limited life once exposed to oxygen? Or can I cap it, store it in the fridge, and use it over the course of a few months?

Thanks.

Best,
Michael

I'd love to know -- I've had a refrigerated opened bottle for a couple years, and really haven't had opportunity to use it lately. Should I dump it now?

Joel,

Go have a taste of it and maybe you can answer both our questions

Best,
Michael

http://www.lillet.com/lillet.jsp

nr706 wrote:http://www.lillet.com/lillet.jsp

Been there and didn't find an answer. Did you?

Lillet is fortified wine. Like sherry or vermouth, it keeps fine -- not forever, maybe, but certainly for months. You don't even have to refrigerate it.

eatchicago wrote:

nr706 wrote:http://www.lillet.com/lillet.jsp

Been there and didn't find an answer. Did you?

What I saw was that it's basically a vermouth, so it should be reasonably shelf-stable.

My wife has a similar predilection, and if her habits are any indication, storage will not be a concern.

We have kept it in the fridge during its brief stays in our home, mostly because it is usually drunk in the manner you describe, chilled, over ice.

It would certainly keep fine in a cabinet as well.

It is delightful served with a nice slice of orange.

LAZ wrote:Lillet is fortified wine. Like sherry or vermouth, it keeps fine -- not forever, maybe, but certainly for months. You don't even have to refrigerate it.

Indeed not. But, for those moments when the mood suddenly strikes, it's so much better cold over ice--or even just cold by itself. I learned early on to keep it in the fridge. (Besides, would you rather have your fridge working to keep a bottle of Lillet cold or a bottle of, say, mayo. Limited shelf space means critical choices.) Besides, if it's already cold, there is no need to wait those agonizingly long seconds while the ice cubes cool (and dilute) it.

I agree. Refrigerate it. I love the stuff. And the red. I use a slice of orange in the white and a good squeeze of lime in the red.

There are several cocktails based on Lilet used as you would vermouth. My favorite is called an Absolute Blonde. I think it originally used gin but I prefer vodka. You use a three to one vodka/Lillet and add a twist of orange peel. Good stuff.

There's always the Vesper Martini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesper_(cocktail)

is lillet just a wife thing??? i like it

i guess it's already been answered, but you should refrigerate ... it'll start to get a bitter tone to it after a month or so maybe

JoelF wrote:There's always the Vesper Martini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesper_(cocktail)

Recipe

As mentioned over in the martini thread, I sometimes make something like it, but without the vodka.