Gretchen Roberts has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.
I'm opening a lot of sparkling wines these days in preparation for my exam, and a girl can only drink so much bubbly plain.
Enter the classic sparkling wine cocktail, Kir Royale. If you're not familiar with this gem, here's the short history: A guy named Canon Felix Kir, who was mayor of Dijon, France and a hero of the Burgundian resistance movement during World War II, loved to drink his Aligote, a dry, acidic white Burgundian wine, with a splash of crème de cassis, a locally produced liqueur made from blackcurrants. He served the cocktail at official town functions and it caught on.
Kir Royale is simply a Kir made with sparkling rather than still white wine. And did I mention it's gorgeous? After the jump, several versions to try and the basic recipe.
I asked A.J. Rathbun, author of "Wine Cocktails" and "Luscious Liqueurs," for help picking the best brands of Creme de Cassis. Here's what we came up with:
Authentic: Champagne or Cremant de Bourgogne (sparkling wine from Burgundy) and Crème de Cassis de Dijon (blackcurrant liqueur from Dijon). Brands to try: Massenez or L'Heritier-Guyot.
Still delicious: Inexpensive Prosecco, Cava, Cremant or domestic sparkling wine with a good-quality imported raspberry liqueur. Brands to try: Mathilde Framboise or Chambord.
Best to avoid: Cook's sparkling wine (or equivalent bottom-shelf cheapie) and inexpensive, mass-produced creme de cassis brands like Hiram Walker and Bois.
Kir Royale
1/2 to 1 ounce crème de cassis (to taste)
Champagne or sparkling wine
Pour crème de cassis into a Champagne flute and gently pour Champagne on top. Serve.
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