Maison Lillet Celebrates 150th Anniversary

From the moment Maison Lillet boldly mixed the first wine-based aperitif from Bordeaux 150 years ago, it was set on a path of playing with the rules. Indeed, the Maison dared to blend wines from the Bordeaux region with fruit macerations for the very first time. Since then, Lillet has embarked on a mission to celebrate those who also play with the rules – especially women in hospitality who continue to forge their own paths to succeed in a male-dominated industry. To celebrate its longstanding commitment to promoting diversity in the industry and celebrating female hospitality professionals, Lillet launched “L pour Elles”, in conjunction with its 150th Anniversary, that spotlights and celebrates these very women.

Maison Lillet Celebrates 150th Anniversary 

“L pour Elles” is an accreditation that makes it easier to find and support female-led and operated bars. In a world where the hospitality industry has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and where female representation in hospitality, travel and leisure stands at just 25%, supporting women bartenders is essential.

As a new expression of Lillet’s century-and-a-half commitment to women, “L pour Elles” celebrates and supports women in the global bar scene, and promotes diversity within the industry, as the brand will be offering all of the bartenders featured on the “L pour Elles” map a free online bartending training (Professional Bar Training programme) to allow them to grow their bartending and bar management skills.

Maison Lillet Celebrates 150th Anniversary 

Lillet supports these women as they play with the rules by claiming their position within this industry – and enjoy and express themselves while doing it. More than just an accreditation, Lillet aims to make “L pour Elles” a recognizable symbol and a community of establishments that invites Lillet lovers to take part in it. Consumers can visit the “L pour Elles” map on the website.

Lillet Day Out at Desa ParkCity

The “L pour Elles” campaign was launched locally in December when Lillet hosted a special Lillet Day Out at Desa ParkCity by bringing together not only women in hospitality, but women entrepreneurs to showcase their work. 

Shirmy Chan, owner of Bar Terumi

During the event, Shirmy Chan, owner of Bar Terumi, led intimate workshops showcasing the versatility of everyone's favourite aperitif, Lillet in a range of cocktails. Shirmy is no stranger to the bar industry with several accolades under her belt, including being awarded Bartender of the Year at The Bar Awards Kuala Lumpur in 2019.

With her most recent venture, Bar Terumi, bringing a refined cocktail experience to PJ, Shirmy is among the few female bar-owners in Malaysia who started off with an all-female opening team.

Handmade Heroes

Female-owned businesses such as Handmade Heroes, Ayomayo Homemade Jam, Quine Label, Vinstar, Kraft Lab, and SC Enchanted Garden also participated during the event, extending the spotlight to female entrepreneurs beyond the hospitality industry. 

Special Lillet cocktails were created and served by the bar team from Skullduggery, complemented by food and refreshments from Naughty Babe Dirty Duck, including a selection of curated Lillet cocktails and special bottle promotions. The evening culminated with a stunning Nordic Lights show as part of the ParkCity Light Festival.

The ”L pour Elles” movement in Malaysia will see support from several bars and establishments across the country in celebration of the 150th Anniversary celebrations, including Bar Terumi, BarTailor, Jama KL and Magazine 63 in Penang.

Lillet’s 150th Anniversary Limited Edition Lillet is sending a message (on) a bottle with its new 150th anniversary “L pour Elles” limited edition designed by French illustrator Alice Des. The bottle label design features illustrated portraits of real female bartenders around the world: Zana Möhlmann in The Netherlands, Natasha David in the USA, and Faye Chetelat in Switzerland.

It’s the Maison’s symbolic toast to hospitality professionals who are playing with the rules and changing the bar scene through their presence – not to mention their talent, vision, style and joie de vivre. Have a drink, show your support: the limited-edition bottle features a QR code linking to a custom map, showcasing the “L pour Elles” selection of female-led and operated bars around the world.

Fans of Lillet can stand a chance to Win Lillet limited-edition bottle in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Keep a look out for the post on the Lillet 150th Anniversary Limited Edition bottle 

Step 2: Like and share the post on Instagram with the #LilletMY and #LpourElles, and tag your best female friends (make sure the post is public so we can see it!)

Step 3: Be in the running to win the Lillet 150th Anniversary Limited Edition bottle

For more information on Lillet and its products, visit www.lillet.com

#LilletMY #LpourElles