Kir
Blackcurrant, Burgundy, apéritif.
A splash of crème de cassis topped with well-chilled dry white wine. Light and fruity, it is Burgundy's apéritif par excellence, with the wine's acidity balancing the sweetness of blackcurrant.
- IBA · Contemporary Classics
- Aperitif
- Built
- Glass
- Wine glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Very light
- Time
- 1 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Crème de cassis
10 ml
-
Dry white wine
90 ml
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a wine glass.
- Pour the crème de cassis into the glass.
- Top up with the chilled white wine.
- Serve at once, without ice.
The story
Origins
LegendA story passed down, not confirmed by the sources.
Before it was called Kir, white wine with crème de cassis was known in Burgundy as blanc-cassis. A waiter named Faivre is said to have served it at Café George in Dijon in 1904, though no documents confirm this. The name came from Canon Félix Kir, mayor of Dijon from 1945 until his death in 1968, who poured it at official receptions to promote two local products, Aligoté and cassis. On 20 November 1951 he granted the Lejay-Lagoute house exclusive use of his name by letter, registered as a trademark in 1952; in 1992 France's Court of Cassation upheld that exclusivity after years of challenges from rival producers.
Sources (4)
- Difford's Guide — Kir Apéritif (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Wikipedia — Kir (cocktail) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- IBA — Kir (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Difford's Guide — Kir and Kir Royale cocktail (opens in a new tab) history
Taste profile
- Fruity
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Dry
- 2 out of 5
- Sour
- 1 out of 5
