Kir Royale and Classic Kir Recipe

Before you start

A Kir is one of the simplest aperitifs there is: a crisp, dry white wine tinted pink and softened with a little crème de cassis, the sweet blackcurrant liqueur from Burgundy. Traditionally the wine is Aligoté, a sharp Burgundian white, and the acidity matters because it keeps the liqueur from tasting like syrup. Swap the still wine for Champagne and you have a Kir Royale.

The only real decision is the ratio. Cassis is very sweet and intense, so a little goes a long way; somewhere between one part liqueur to nine parts wine and one to five covers most tastes. Start at the lighter end, pour the liqueur first so the wine mixes it as it goes in, and serve everything very cold.

Ingredients

• 15 ml (½ oz) crème de cassis — use up to 20 ml for a sweeter, darker drink
• 120 ml (4 oz) Champagne or other dry sparkling wine — for a Kir Royale; well chilled
• 120 ml (4 oz) dry white wine such as Aligoté — for a classic Kir, in place of the sparkling wine; well chilled
• 1 lemon twist or a few fresh blackcurrants — optional garnish

Method

1. Chill the wine thoroughly, ideally to about 6 to 8°C (43 to 46°F). Cassis drinks are served without ice, so the wine must be cold from the fridge.
2. Measure the crème de cassis into the bottom of a flute for a Kir Royale, or a white wine glass for a Kir.
3. Tilt the glass and pour the sparkling wine slowly down the side so it foams less and keeps its bubbles. For a still Kir, simply pour the white wine on top.
4. Look at the color. It should be a clear rosy pink to light ruby. Most of the mixing happens as the wine falls; for a still Kir, give one gentle stir with a spoon.
5. Add a twist of lemon peel or a couple of blackcurrants if you like, and serve right away.

Tips for success

• Choose a crisp, unoaked white. Buttery, oak-aged wines clash with the blackcurrant and make the drink heavy.
• Crème de cassis fades after opening. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator and use it within a few months for the brightest fruit.
• For a party, put a measured pour of cassis in each flute ahead of time and top with sparkling wine as guests arrive.

Substitutions

Crème de cassis

Raspberry liqueur makes a Kir Impérial with a lighter red-fruit flavor. Blackberry liqueur gives a similar dark fruit taste with less tartness.

Champagne

Crémant, cava or a dry prosecco all work and cost less. Prosecco is fruitier, so use the smaller pour of cassis.

Aligoté

Any dry, high-acid white such as unoaked Chablis-style Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc is a good stand-in. A red Burgundy-style wine makes a Cardinal.

Variations

Kir Impérial

Use raspberry liqueur instead of cassis with Champagne.

Cardinal

Use a light, chilled red wine instead of white with the same pour of cassis.

Troubleshooting

It tastes syrupy

There is too much cassis for the wine. Drop to 10 ml, or choose a drier, more acidic wine.

The sparkling wine foams over

The glass was dry or the wine was poured too fast. Tilt the glass and pour in two stages, letting the foam settle in between.

The color is dull brown rather than pink

The cassis has oxidized. Smell it; if it smells of stewed fruit rather than fresh berries, replace the bottle and store the new one in the fridge.

Storage

Serve immediately. Recork opened sparkling wine with a stopper and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days; opened still white wine keeps 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Refrigerate opened crème de cassis.

Safety notes

A Kir Royale with 120 ml of 12% sparkling wine and 15 ml of roughly 16% cassis is about 0.9 U.S. standard drinks. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and never drink and drive.