The Kir Royal Recipe

Posted in Liquers on March 3, 2014

The Kir Royal is a famous variation of the classic Kir recipe. Originally, this cocktail was made with crème de cassis and white wine. It was called blanc-cassis and it was later renamed in the honor of the man who revived it and made it famous: Mayor Felix Kir of Dijon. However, the mayor is not also responsible for the variations spawned from the original. These have appeared in time and it is almost impossible to know exactly who had the idea of preparing them for the first time.

It is popular for the Kir nowadays to also use other fruit liqueurs, not only crème de cassis. However, the Kir Royal is best made with crème de cassis. The only difference to the original recipe is that it doesn’t use white wine, but champagne. It is also served in a champagne flute, not in a wine glass. Otherwise said, the Kir Royal is a more sophisticated and refined version of the Kir. If you like the original Kir, you will definitely love the Royal version also.

It is a drink best served at parties where your guests might expect something stylish. Traditionally, the Kir is consumed before meals or snacks, as an aperitif. The Kir Royal is perfect for setting the tone of a party and for offering your guests an elegant treat before the actual meal.

The recipe for Kir Royal is similar to the classic Kir recipe. The International Bartenders Association recommends using one tenth crème de cassis and nine parts of champagne, but increasing the amount of crème de cassis to one fifth is not uncommon. Depending on where you live, crème de cassis might not be easily available. It is usually sold in specialized liquor stores, but you can replace it with any other blackcurrant liqueur. Its color might differ depending on the brand, but you’ll probably be able to prepare a good Kir Royal. You can experiment with different brands of blackcurrant liqueur until you find the ones that you like best.

The Kir Royal Recipe

• ¼ oz. of crème de cassis,
• 2 ¼ oz. of champagne.

Pour the crème de cassis in a champagne flute and slowly add the champagne.

There are numerous variations of this cocktail, so you can experiment with various types of fruit liqueur or with white and red wine. They are all very easy to make, so you can try them all at home.