The Lillet Wild Berry recipe
one part Lillet, two parts berries
Fill a large wine glass to the top with ice cubes.
Pour 5 cl chilled Lillet Blanc over the ice.
Top up with 10 cl chilled Schweppes Wild Berry. Pour slowly down the inside of the glass so the fizz stays in it.
Stir briefly once with a bar spoon so the Lillet at the bottom mixes with the soft drink.
Place the halved strawberries and raspberries between the ice and serve immediately.
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The story
Lillet comes from Podensac, a village south of Bordeaux, where brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet began their trade in wine and spirits in 1872. The drink consists of approximately 85 percent Bordeaux wine and 15 percent liqueurs, primarily orange liqueurs. It was long called Kina Lillet, after the quinine it contained, and under that name it also appears in the Vesper recipe from Ian Fleming's Casino Royale. In the mid-1980s, the recipe was changed, with less bitterness and less sweetness, and since then the white version has been called Lillet Blanc. The combination with Schweppes Wild Berry is much more recent. Where and when it was first served is not clearly documented, but it became a well-known summer drink, especially in Germany. Lillet itself lists it on its website as a standard serve, in a one-to-two ratio.
The right glass
Lillet specifies a wine glass for the Wild Berry, and a large one of around 50 cl works best. It needs to hold a glassful of ice, 15 cl of drink and some fruit, and you do not want to fill it to the brim. The rounded bowl keeps the aroma of berries and orange together, and you hold the glass by the stem without warming the drink. A Copa glass works too. Our choice can be found among the large wine glasses.
Royal Leerdam Adora Wine Glass 50 cl (6 pieces)
Bohemia Columba Wine Glass 50 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 73,90.
The right tools
For a Lillet Wild Berry, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, and large ice cubes. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Large cubes melt slowly, so your drink gets less diluted
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 145,80.
What do you make a Lillet Wild Berry with?
You need the right base for a Lillet Wild Berry. Popular bottles include Lillet and Lillet Rosé. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Using Lillet Rosé instead of Blanc and a slice of strawberry makes it a Lillet Roséberry, as the brand calls this version: fruitier, with more red fruit. Swap the Wild Berry for tonic, and you have a Lillet Tonic, drier and more bitter, often with cucumber or orange. For an alcohol-free version, Lillet offers a Berry 0% made with Lillet Blanc 0%. If you want to taste Lillet in a stronger cocktail, make a Vesper Martini or a Corpse Reviver No. 2.
Serving tip
Keep the Lillet in the refrigerator; it is a wine product, and an opened bottle will keep there for several weeks. Pouring it cold means less ice melts and the soda stays fizzy longer. If you don't have fresh raspberries, use frozen ones: they help chill the drink and thaw in the glass.
Good to know
Making Lillet Wild Berry: the one-to-two ratio
Lillet specifies the ratio as one part Lillet Blanc to two parts Schweppes Wild Berry. In centiliters, 5 to 10 is the standard measure, and it fills a large wine glass with ice perfectly. More soda makes the drink sweeter and fruitier, because Wild Berry contains sugar. More Lillet brings out more wine, orange, and bitterness. If you want it less sweet, use 6 cl Lillet and 9 cl soda. Be sure to measure with a jigger: when pouring by eye, you can quickly add too much Lillet, causing the fruit to fade into the background.
What is Schweppes Wild Berry
Schweppes Wild Berry is a carbonated soft drink with a wild berry flavor and a pinkish-red color. In Dutch supermarkets, it is sold as Schweppes Wild Berries. The label lists, among other things, sugar, sweeteners, and hibiscus and carrot concentrates. Quinine is not listed among the ingredients in the Netherlands, so it is less bitter than tonic and noticeably sweeter. If you cannot find it, use tonic with 1 cl of raspberry syrup. That comes close, with slightly more bitterness and slightly less berry flavor.
Lillet Blanc, Rosé or Rouge
The Lillet recipe uses Lillet Blanc: white Bordeaux wine with orange liqueur, fresh and honeyed with a lightly bitter finish. It pairs well with the berries because the contrast keeps the drink lively. With Lillet Rosé, launched in 2011, you get more red fruit and grapefruit; the brand calls this version Roséberry. Lillet Rouge, made from red Bordeaux, is fuller, with ripe fruit and spices, and makes the drink heavier. All three contain 17 percent alcohol, so the strength of your glass does not change.
Lillet Wild Berry alongside Lillet Tonic and Aperol Spritz
Three light aperitifs for a large glass with ice, each with its own balance. Lillet Tonic uses the same Lillet Blanc with regular tonic, making it drier and more bitter, closer to a light gin and tonic. Wild Berry is the sweetest and fruitiest of the three. The Aperol Spritz has more wine and bubbles from the prosecco and more orange bitterness from the Aperol. In terms of alcohol, the Aperol Spritz is the strongest: about 13 grams, compared with around 7 grams for each of the two Lillet drinks.
Lillet Wild Berry for a group
For six glasses, you need 30 cl of Lillet Blanc, about 40 percent of a 75 cl bottle, and 60 cl of Wild Berry. Refrigerate everything a few hours in advance. Do not mix in the soda beforehand, or it will lose its fizz before the last glass is poured. Place the chilled Lillet in a pitcher from our pitchers next to a bowl of halved strawberries and raspberries: everyone pours 5 cl of Lillet over ice and tops it up with 10 cl of soda. If you will be outside for a long time, use frozen fruit so it helps keep the drink cold.
How much alcohol is in a Lillet Wild Berry
Very little. The 5 cl of 17 percent Lillet Blanc provides 0.85 cl of pure alcohol, approximately 7 grams. That is about two-thirds of a standard drink. In 15 cl of drink, the percentage in the glass is approximately 6 percent, and it becomes slightly lower as the ice melts. For an alcohol-free version, Lillet has Lillet Blanc 0%, which the brand pours with Wild Berry in the same ratio. You can also make an alcohol-free aperitif with fruit, such as the Alcohol-Free Spritz.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Lillet Wild Berry?
A Lillet Wild Berry consists of 5 cl Lillet Blanc and 10 cl Schweppes Wild Berry, poured over plenty of ice in a large wine glass and finished with strawberry and raspberry. No extra syrup or juice is added: the sweetness comes from the soft drink, while the fresh, slightly bitter flavor comes from the Lillet.
What is the ratio for Lillet Wild Berry?
One part Lillet Blanc to two parts Schweppes Wild Berry, as Lillet itself specifies. In practice, that is 5 cl Lillet and 10 cl soft drink. If you want it less sweet, use 6 cl Lillet and 9 cl Wild Berry.
Can you use Lillet Rosé for Lillet Wild Berry?
Yes. With Lillet Rosé, you get a fruitier, pinker drink with more red fruit and grapefruit; the brand calls this version Lillet Roséberry and garnishes it with a slice of strawberry. The ratio remains one to two and the alcohol percentage is the same, because Rosé also has 17 percent.
Which glass do you serve Lillet Wild Berry in?
In a large wine glass of around 50 cl, filled with ice. That is also the glass Lillet recommends. The spacious bowl has room for the ice, 15 cl of drink and the fruit, while the stem keeps your hand away from the cold bowl. Our choice is among the large wine glasses.
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