Kir
ClassicWhite wine and cassis. A Burgundian apéritif in two ingredients.
Crisp and lightly sweet, with dry white wine's acidity brightening the deep berry sweetness of crème de cassis. The cassis tints it a glowing garnet and adds a jammy blackcurrant note — simple, elegant, and refreshing.
Ingredients
- 5 oz White Wine
- 0.5 oz Crème de Cassis
- Lemon peel · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Pour the crème de cassis into a wine glass.
- 2
Top slowly with chilled dry white wine.
- 3
Stir once to combine.
- 4
Express a lemon peel over the surface and drop it in.
The Story
The Kir takes its name from Félix Kir, a canon and Resistance hero who became mayor of Dijon after the Second World War and served the drink at official receptions to promote local Burgundian products — the region's crisp Aligoté white and its blackcurrant crème de cassis. The pairing predated him, but his patronage made it famous. It remains the definitive French apéritif.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
