A light alcoholic cocktail served before the main meal. The availability of ingredients and ease of preparation have made it a popular drink for parties, social events and home gatherings.
Historical information
The “Kir” cocktail appeared during the Second World War, after the Nazis took out all supplies of red wine from the captured Burgundy (French wine-growing region), leaving the local residents only blackcurrant liqueur and dry white wine.
Felix Cyrus (1876-1968), priest, resistance hero and post-war mayor of the city of Dijon, suggested that a mixture of sour wine and liquor in the right proportions would taste better than these drinks alone. And so it happened. Later, a cocktail named in his honor, Felix Cyrus, treated all the delegations who came to Dijon. Thanks to this, the drink is known not only in Burgundy, but also far beyond its borders.
According to one of the versions, the Russian slang word “kiryat” (to drink) came to us from France and is associated with the name of this cocktail.
Making the Kir cocktail
Composition:
- white dry wine – 90 ml;
- black currant liqueur (Creme de Cassis) – 10 ml.
According to the classic recipe, “Cyrus” is prepared in a ratio of 9: 1, but many recipes use 5 volumetric parts of liqueur, and in France the most popular ratio is 7: 3 (seven parts of wine to three parts of blackcurrant liqueur). I advise you to try different options and choose the most delicious one.
Recipe
1. Pour liquor into a chilled glass.
2. Add wine.
Cocktail “Kir Royal”
Replacing white wine with champagne brought new flavors to the cocktail. This particular variety is included in the list of official cocktails of the International Bartenders Association.
Composition:
- blackcurrant liqueur – 20 ml;
- champagne – 130 ml.
Recipe
1. Chill the champagne glass with ice or place it in the freezer for a few minutes.
2. Discard ice (if used) and add liquor.
3. Top up with champagne, then stir gently.
4. Decorate the top with any berry, for example, cherries or strawberries.
