The weekend is almost upon us and I thought what better way to bring in the weekend than with a toast! One of my favorite cocktails, and favorite drinks for a toast is a Kir Royale.
The Kir Royale is a light and refreshing champagne cocktail that is made with champagne and the French liqueur Creme de Cassis. I love both the taste, and the beautiful color of this classic cocktail, and it is the perfect aperitif to serve to guests before a meal.
Besides being beautiful and delicious, the Kir Royale also has an interesting history. But to understand the history of the Kir Royale, you first have to look at the Kir, a french cocktail which came before the creation of this classic champagne cocktail.
The Kir Royale is a light and refreshing champagne cocktail that is made with champagne and the French liqueur Creme de Cassis. I love both the taste, and the beautiful color of this classic cocktail, and it is the perfect aperitif to serve to guests before a meal.
Besides being beautiful and delicious, the Kir Royale also has an interesting history. But to understand the history of the Kir Royale, you first have to look at the Kir, a french cocktail which came before the creation of this classic champagne cocktail.
History of the Kir Royale: The Kir originated in Burgundy, France in the 1940s, and is named after Félix Kir, who was a hero in the French Resistance during the Second World War, and then the Mayor of Dijon from 1945 to 1968. Felix Kir was very popular in his community, and he also was very interested in supporting the production of local products from Dijon. His most famous effort to support the products from his community was his creation of the Kir, a drink that mixed local peasant white wine, Aligote, which is highly acidic, with the local black currant liqueur Crème de Cassis, to make a sweeter and more appealing cocktail.
Elevating a peasant wine by the smallest addition of a delicious sweet liqueur? That is certainly Living Luxe for Less!
Felix Kir's recipe was delicious and a huge success in Burgundy because of how the sweetness of the liqueur balanced with the acidity of the local white wine. This combination of local flavors became so popular that it spread all over France, where people eventually changed the recipe to include other regional wines and liquors. And as the story goes, once the French upper class finally found out about this appealing cocktail, they elevated it to royal status by substituting champagne for peasant wine...hence the creation of the Kir Royale!
If you are looking for a new and refreshing cocktail this weekend, I suggest you try the Kir Royale! According to Ina Garten, my favorite resource for classic and chic entertaining, this cocktail could not be easier to make! Just add one teaspoon of Creme de Cassis to a champagne flute, top off with champagne, and that's a Kir Royale!
Happy Friday...here's a toast to the weekend!
