This vintage sign is telling people how to ask for Lillet. “Lilet” is the phonetic spelling: Lee-LAY.
It’s lee-LAY.
It’s true that normally, when those the double L’s appear in the middle of a word, the two L’s would turn into a “y” sound. For example, fille (girl) is pronounced “FEE-yuh.” So, if you were strictly following French pronunciation rules, Lillet would be “Lee-YAY.”
But this is French, and there are always exceptions to every rule. And in this case, it’s lee-LAY.
How do I know this? This above sign, seen in a French restaurant, tells me so. And in a visit the the Lillet museum in Podensac, France, I was told that for many years, the French advertising campaign for Lillet misspelled the aperitif on purpose: “LILET.” That way, the French would pronounce it right (lee-LAY).
Even today, you can see old signs on stone buildings in France purposefully misspelling Lillet as “Lilet” so that the French will pronounce it right. Here’s an example:
Once the aperitif (and its pronunciation) caught on, the company went back to the original spelling.
Fortunately, enjoying Lillet is easy: Simply pour it over ice and, if you like, add an orange peel. It’s a fantastic apéritif. (For my enthusiastic ode to the apéritif, click here.) And mixologists today often use it in cocktails.
Recipes:
The Art of the Aperitif - Or Why Potato Chips Taste Better in France
Celebrate French National Cocktail Hour
Thank you for this interesting background. I’m wondering how the apertif received its name in the first place….Is it the name of a town, the producer, etc?
Thanks Marie! Sorry for the late reply….
Lillet is the name of the family who produced the apéritif.
You can find more about this wonderful drink here: http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2012/08/15/lillet_licensed_to_chill.html
Thanks!
Wini
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Thank you very much! I have recently discovered this superb apéritif and have always been puzzled how to pronounce it. Somehow “lee-YEAH” seemed odd. Merci mille fois!
Glad I could help. I always wondered this myself, and when I was “at the source,” in Podensac, France, I was glad to get the scoop.
I’ve always pronounced it the correct way because I first had it in France. 🙂 But thanks for the history and the photos! I’m bookmarking this site for skeptics.
Excellent clarification, Wini. Bien, merci, mais Anglais peut-etre pas la premier langue..troisieme paragraph..”but this French” tsk tsk. I’m sure my French could use a bit of editing too.
Ah zut! Je m’en occupe!
Thanks so much for this page! I’ve always pronounced it the (as it turns out) correct way, but recently had a “wait a minute! that’s not how the French would pronounce those double Ls!” panic moment as I ordered my favorite Corpse Reviver No. 2. A panic your informative page thankfully dispelled.
Glad I could be of help! Thanks for letting me know you found this useful.