#Paris In July Kir Royale
Medici Fountain, Jardin du Luxembourg
- If there is one cocktail that has a
- …special place in my heart….it is Kir Royale.
- It was my first cocktail.
- I was 18 and studying in Paris for two months.
- One evening I went to La Comédie française.
- It was Molière Le Misanthrope and
- …honestly…I didn’t understand much of it.
- But later I went to a café with friends and met ‘Kir Royale’ !
Kir Royale: sparkling wine (or champagne) + crème de cassis liqueur
- The Kir Royale—is named after Félix Kir.
- He was the mayor of Dijon who helped popularize the white-wine version of the drink.
- I’m using Joseph Cartron Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne.
- Crème de Cassis was one of Hercule Poirot’s favorite drinks!
- I’m using sparkling wine: Blanquette de Limoux instead of champagne.
- Blanquette de Limoux was first made in a Benedictine Abbey in SW France.
- This wine predates champagne and
- ….is in fact France’s oldest sparkling wine.
- Thomas Jefferson loved it, and served it to guests when he was president.
- Jefferson was America’s first oenophile.
- At his home at Monticello, his household consumed about 400 bottles of wine per year.
- All came from Europe, because in the early 19th century
- …wine grapes couldn’t yet be grown in North America.
Blanquette de Limoux:
- Limoux is the birthplace of high-quality sparkling wine production in France.
- Grape: 100% Mauzac known as blanquette due to the white coating on its leaves.
- Taste: beautiful dryness matched up with a zing of apples.
- It is a lovely glass of sparkling that’s much
- ….more interesting than any cava or prosecco.
Trivia:
- Jefferson insisted the wine be delivered in bottles, not casks.
- In this way the bottles were at least secure and c
- …couldn’t be watered down or filched by unscrupulous merchants or
- …thirsty crew members.
N@ncy’s bar:
- 2/3 c sparkling wine (160 ml)
- 1 TB crème de cassis (15 ml)
- There are also those that prefer…
- 2 TB crème de cassis (30 ml) to
- 1/2 c sparkling wine (120 ml)
- ...too rich for me…but you may like it.
- Glass: champagne flute or champagne coupe
- Garnish: optional….strawberry or black berry on the rim of glass!
France’s best kept secret…wines from Languedoc!
Conclusion:
- Elegant and easy….with just 2 ingredients.
- Taste: this Blanquette de Limoux tastes much more tart
- ..than my trusty Martini prosecco!
- It is also twice as expensive.
- The black current liqueur balances perfectly to
- …produce a unforgettable cocktail!
- I feel 18 again!
- If you have a bottle of sparkling wine in the fridge
- …you are always ready for a celebration!
- Excellent choice for a festive cocktail for
- …birthday, Christmas
- …or New Year!
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I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, but I have had Kir Royale, and it was fun to read about it and the various ingredients. Will probably order this when I am in Paris at the end of the month! Thanks for the reminder and the history.
Oh, how wonderful….in Paris and having a Kir Royale.
Have a wonderful visit to the City of Lights! 🙂
Sounds delicious! I prefer my cocktails on the dry, tart side of the spectrum. I’ll keep it in mind next time I’m out!
Seems to be a few wine posts this week – halfway mark blues?
i mixed one TB creme de cassis + 1 TB gin in a huge wine glass with ice and lemon zest and slices. I filled the glass with sparkling water ( tonic..contains too much sugar!).
Refreshing drink …and a bit lighter and less sweet than Kir Royale.