In homage to my absolutely fabulous mom, I'd like to introduce you to her most favorite of summer cocktails... Lillet with orange peel. It's sweet, cold and refreshing. Perfect for a hot day or night. And you're sure to impress your friends with your knowledge of this little known, super simple, but absolutely delicious French cocktail!What it is & when to serve it:
Lillet is an aperitif wine traditionally enjoyed before a meal. It's a blend of wine and citrus liqueurs made from a variety of oranges.
How to serve it:
1. Pour a liberal amount of chilled Lillet into a glass of your choice over ice (My mom uses large white wine glasses)
2. Flame an orange rind over the glass, squeeze and ignite the citrus oil that sprays out (this flavors the cocktail)
3. Drop rind into glass et Voila!
Where to find Lillet Blanc: Total Wine and other large or specialty liquor stores
Price: $15-26 depending on retailer
Watch this to see exactly how to 'flame' the orange peel:
http://www.chow.com/stories/10931
Background to authenticize your savvy knowledge of the finer things:
Lillet originated in 1887 near Bordeaux by brothers Paul & Raymond Lillet. One of the ingredients in their tonic drink is quinine (a drug used to treat malaria) which gives Lillet it's ever so slight bitterness. Lillet was originally marketed as "Kina-Lillet", named after the Kina tree native to Peru, from the bark of which kina (aka: quinine) is derived. There is notably less quinine in Lillet these days, but as it's still an ingredient, toasting "A Votre Sante" ("To Your Health") in this case, actually rings true.
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