Kir Royale
Champagne over a measure of crème de cassis. The Kir with sparkling wine — a Burgundian mayor's aperitif made grand, and the simplest Champagne cocktail there is.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a Champagne flute.
Pour the crème de cassis into the flute.
Top slowly with very cold Champagne, pouring down the side so it does not foam over.
Serve as is, or with a lemon twist.
A thoughtful finish
- Less cassis than you think. A half-ounce in four of wine keeps it pink and dry; the classic Burgundian proportion is about one to nine.
- A dry crémant de Bourgogne is the honest and local choice and costs a third of Champagne.
- Do not stir. The cassis mixes on its own and stirring kills the fizz.
Common mistakes
- Too much cassis, which turns it into a sweet purple soda.
- A sweet sparkling wine on top of the liqueur.
- Pouring the wine first and dropping the cassis in; it sinks and the first sips are plain wine.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Kir and a Kir Royale?
Still wine versus sparkling. A Kir is white Burgundy (Aligoté) with cassis; a Kir Royale uses Champagne or crémant.
Who was Félix Kir?
A Catholic priest, Resistance figure and long-serving mayor of Dijon, who served the local white wine and cassis at every official function and gave the drink his name.
What is crème de cassis?
Blackcurrant liqueur, from Burgundy originally, at 16 to 20% ABV. The Dijon houses make the standard.
Can I use other liqueurs?
Raspberry makes a Kir Impérial; peach, a Kir Pêche. The template is a half-ounce of fruit liqueur under cold sparkling wine.
Variations
- Kir — Still white wine with cassis.
- Champagne Cocktail — Champagne over a bitters-soaked sugar cube.
- Mimosa — Champagne and orange juice.
- Bellini — Prosecco and peach purée.
Where it comes from
c. 1945–1960s · Dijon, Burgundy · Félix Kir (namesake)
Félix Kir, a priest, Resistance hero and the mayor of Dijon from 1945 to 1968, served white Burgundy with the local blackcurrant liqueur at every civic reception, and the blanc-cassis took his name — he reportedly allowed the liqueur houses to use it. The Kir Royale replaces the still Aligoté with Champagne or crémant and is the version the rest of the world adopted; a Kir Pétillant uses sparkling wine that is not Champagne, and a Kir Impérial uses raspberry liqueur. It is an aperitif, not a cocktail, and it is better the less cassis you use.
Sources
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Kir Royale, 2015 (reference)
- Larousse Gastronomique, 2001 (book)
Strength. About 0.97 US standard drinks at an estimated 11.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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