Kir Royale Cocktail

The Kir Royale Cocktail is chic and refreshing. My favorite cocktail, made with champagne and crème de cassis, as seen on the latest season of Emily in Paris.

Most French Café menus feature this delicious cocktail, it is a favorite for an afterwork apéro (cocktail hour) with friends. I personally love to welcome guests to a dinner party with this cocktail - it always puts people in a festive mood!

The French enjoy a Kir Royale as an elevated version of the café classic, Le Kir, that is made with dry white wine. It gives a sense of occasion.

I have spoken about my love of Kir Royale several times over the years, such as in this post about the art of L'Apéro, but I realized I have never shared the Kir Royale recipe, perfect for a special occasion.

Ingredients

• Champagne (or Prosecco or Cava or any dry sparkling wine of your choice!)
• Crème de Cassis

See recipe card below for Kir Royale recipe quantities.

Instructions

This cocktail is SUPER simple to make. Only two ingredients. No shaking or muddling required and can easily be done for guests at a dinner party. You will not find yourself stuck behind the bar, however I do caution that people will want seconds!

Expert Tips

1. Make sure you are using dry champagne (classified as Brut) or sparking wine for this recipe. The Crème de cassis is already quite sweet - if you use a sweet sparkling wine (demi-sec or doux) the drink will be much too sweet.
2. Pour the creme de cassis in first, then the Champagne for a nice foam on the glass.
3. Stir swiftly and serve immediately
4. You can propose several different flavors of Kir Royale - either the classic creme de cassis or else with raspberry liqueur, blackcurrant liqueur or peach liqueur.

Emily in Paris Kir Royale Cocktail

I was inspired to share this recipe while enjoying season 3 of Emily in Paris on Netflix that mentions the Kir Royale several times. While I have not tried Emily's idea of a Kir in can (Chamère, as she calls it), this cocktail is incredibly simple to make and does bring an elegant sense of occasion to an Apéro.

If you are an Emily in Paris fan you will also enjoy my recipe for Magical Leek Soup from season 2 or my watch party recommendations in the Food of Emily in Paris.

History of the Kir

Félix Kir, a French Catholic Priest from Dijon, is credited for popularizing the "Kir" as it is now known internationally. Father Kir used to serve this cocktail, known at the turn of the century as a "blanc-cassis", to visiting delegations. Félix Kir was knighted by the Legion d'Honneur and was Mayor of Dijon until his death in 1968.

FAQs

Variations

Using blackcurrant is the classic Kir Royale recipe in France but you can also use a variation of flavors with champagne for a delightful cocktail.

• Peach - The Piscine Pêche is a classic of Saint-Tropez and one of my favorite cocktails to enjoy in the summer
• Cranberry - substitute cranberry juice for black current for a festive winter twist on the Kir Royale
• Strawberry - creates a sweeter cocktail with a beautiful light pink hue that is perfect for Valentine's Day

What to serve with a Kir Royale

The sweetness of the cocktail goes beautifully with a slightly salty canapé such as Olive Tapenade or gougères.

Kir Royale is the ideal start to a dinner party where I like to serve Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken or Le Grand Aïoli.

About Le Chef's Wife

Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.

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Au plaisir,

Le Chef's Wife