KIR - a summer drink to savour
Elsewhere on this Blog I’ve been talking of the warm dry European summer.
Another word for all that is - thirsty weather! As wine afficinados will know, the summer weather in France brings out refreshing drinks such as pastis and rosé.
In Burgundy, Kir falls into a similiar category.
The recipe for KIR is very simple - one part Cassis (blackcurrant extract) to three/four parts white Burgundy wine - but my favourite is the mix with Cremant, Burgundy’s white sparkling wine.
Personally I find one part cassis far too sweet, so I tend to just pour a ’splash’ into each glass, giving it both flavour and colour without looking like a raspberry soda.
As refreshing as the drink is, its history is equally delightful - although there are many variations to this story.
Kir is named after Cannon Felix Kir, a priest, World War 2 French resistance hero, and mayor of Dijon from 1945 until his death in 1968.
There was a time when the lower quality Aligote white wine was being difficult to market. A keen promoter of Burgundy and its products, Cannon Kir imaginatively started adding cassis to the wine being served to visitors to the Town Hall.
The drink’s fame gradually grew beyond Burgundy and eventually throughout the world.
In reality, blanc-cassis was popular in France well before Cannon Kir’s initiative. But being renamed Kir was in honour of his standing and war time exploits.
Some note the health positives of Kir. Blackcurrents contain around 7 times more vitamin C as oranges.
The drink certainly seemed to agree with the Cannon, he was 92 when he died!
So drink up without guilt!!
August 24th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I don’t think it’s limited to Burgundy, I’ve never been anywhere where they don’t offer it as an apperatif, and indeed in the Auvergne once ordered you’ll likely be asked what flavour - blackcurrant is still the traf favourite but peach and blackberry are common, and we quite like chestnut!
August 24th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Hhmm, seems like you may have tasted one or two Chris;) We often back up the Kir with les gougères, choux pastry with hint of la fromage - very tasty, but best eaten warm.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Kir Royale is the drink made with sparkling wine and is popular all over France…especially in our household where it is made with sparkling Touraine.
And we prefer to use blackcurrent liquor rather than sirop, while other fruit liquors are also good.
August 24th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
….sparkling Touraine Colin? I think my Bourgogne grape growing friends would have something to say about that!! Liqour in lieu of sirop sounds like a ‘must taste’!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Hi Bruce nice to see you back and blogging again. With regard to your story on Kir, I just happened to post my own story on Kir on http://lifeinburgundy.blogspot.com/ which you might be interested in. I must agree with Colin the Gardener, that Kir should be made with blackcurrent liqueur not syrup, that is most probably why you find yours too sweet.
October 8th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Hi Sue, read your Kir story with interest - and learnt more too! Also enjoyed your battle to apply your 2 person Gite policy - we keep a rollaway bed for that purpose - mainly used by children - but like you we are always sensitive about the number of people on the property at any one time. Guests come for peace and quiet and of course want their own space. Merci for your comment.