Recipe: French Kir Cocktail

Kirs were our favorite thing to drink in Paris, when we were out at a cafe before dinner, people-watching and relaxing after a long day of walking around.

This is very easy to make at home! Normally a Kir would be made with Creme de Cassis from Dijon, and a chilled white wine from the Burgundy area. If you are not using a French wine, you can simply find a 100% Chardonnay. It is important to purchase a good bottle of Creme de Cassis though, and make sure it is from Dijon (not those big plastic bottled mixers that claim to be Creme de Cassis!)

We also discoverd that you can make a red wine Kir, using a chilled red wine from Burgundy, which would be a Pinot Noir grape. We had this as an aperatif "de la maison" at a delicious and old-fashioned fondue restaurant on the rue Mouffetard in Paris.

One other variation is a "Kir Royale", which is made in the same manner, only using Champagne as the wine!

-Glass of wine (Chardonnay, Champagne or Pinot Noir)
-Creme de Cassis

Pour about 1 tablespoon in the bottom of a glass. Fill with wine of your choice. Taste, and add more Creme de Cassis if needed, depending on how sweet you prefer.