Kir

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This article deals with the beverage named Kir. For the biblical town of Kir see Al Karak.

Kir is a cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liquor) topped up with white wine.

In France it is usually drunk as an apéritif before a meal or snack. Originally the wine used was Bourgogne Aligoté, a lesser white wine of Burgundy. Nowadays, various white wines are used throughout France, according to the region and the whim of the barkeeper. Many prefer a white chardonnay-based Burgundy, such as Chablis.

It is named after Félix Kir (1876 - 1968), mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, who as a pioneer of the twinning movement in the aftermath of the Second World War popularized the drink by offering it at receptions to visiting delegations. Besides treating his international guests well, he was also promoting two vital economic products of the region.

Following the commercial development of crème de cassis in 1841 the cocktail became a popular regional café drink under the name of blanc-cass, but has since become inextricably linked internationally with the name of Mayor Kir. When ordering a kir, waiters in France now normally ask whether you want it made with cassis (blackcurrant), mûre (blackberry) or pèche (peach).

Besides the basic kir, a number of variations exist:

• Kir Royale - made with champagne
• Kir Pétillant made with sparkling wine
• Cardinal - made with red wine instead of white
• Kir Imperial - made with raspberry liqueur instead of cassis, and champagne
• Kir Normand - made with Normandy cider instead of wine.
• Kir Breton - made with cider from Brittany instead of wine.
• Cidre Royal - made with cider instead of wine, with a measure of calvados added.

Young American bartenders are increasingly (and mistakenly) using Chambord when one orders a Kir Royale, so it is important to specify that you want it with crème de cassis.