Treesa

I brought a bottle of creme de cassis from Paris. How does one drink it? Straight? On the rocks? Mixed with ??? Any suggestions or recipes will be very much appreciated...

cigalechanta

combined with white wine, it makes a light refreshing apertif known as a kir.
And as it is made with black currents, I like it over vanilla ice cream.

indytravel

Mixed with champagne, kir royale. Never mind the fact it tastes good, it sounds fabulous.

Betsy

Cigale and Indy are right on. Pour about two tablespoons creme de cassis into the bottom of your wine or champagne glass, and then pour the wine in gently. Don't stir. As you tilt the glass to drink, the liqueur will mix with the wine. Instant France!

Patrick

Am I crazy? I thought kirs and kir Royales were made with cassis, not creme de cassis. Isn't that a whole different "animal"?

Patrick

OK. Don't answer my last question. I just googled and now I guess what I always called Cassis is in fact "creme de cassis". I thought it must be different.

Seamus

It's OK, Patrick, just take a good long draft of that kir and r-e-l-a-x..

Patrick

Actually it was my Dewar's Dry Robroy I just finished. And now to bed. I'll do the Kir another time.

SloPugs

I vote for the kir royal with a very good champagne. They are yummy! How about for dessert over breyer's vanilla bean ice cream? .......maybe mixed in a mocha....or would that be weird?

hike

Champagne (or white wine) with crème de mûre (blackberry) is even better. When mixed with champagne, a friend called it Kir Imperial jokingly. Crème de mûre seems more difficult to find but if you do, try this kir imperial.

Joelle

Please remember that the real Crème de Cassis is a liquor (20% volume). You may also find in shops "cassis syrup", alcohol free, which is used to flavour water for kids.
Please check which one you've bought as the taste won't be the same for a Kir !!!

kaudrey

Hi Treesa,

Here are some other suggestions, if you want them:

Desiree:
5 oz c de c
1 oz vodka

Baltic Murder Mystery:
1 oz c de c
1 oz vodka
Fill with 7 up

Executive Sunrise:
1 1/2 oz gold tequila
1/2 oz c de c
4 oz OJ

Don't remember the name, but:
1 1/2 oz dark rum
1/2 oz c de c
2 oz pineapple juice

You can drink all of these on the rocks, although the last one I would chill in a shaker and then strain into a glass. Enjoy!

Karen

aj

How do you pronounce "kir"? I always say it wrong in Paris....I do love the drink though.

Kristy

For a Kir Royale--Depending on the quality of champagne, just a splash of the cassis to color (I wouldn't suggest 2 Tablespoons, maybe a teaspoon or 2) . Otherwise, way to sweet! Tasty! (Also great with Chambord!)

MelJ

My favorite is a Kir Framboise--red wine with raspberry liquor--yum!

Ursula

I am with you, MelJ ;o)

sandi_travelnut

aj- I believe that Kir rhymes with "ear". I'm sure that if I'm wrong, I'll know in just a moment....

Lucy

Sandy is right. Kir sounds like "keer".

oakglen

The correct white wine, here in the US, would be sauvignon blanc or a similar dry almost sour wine. The French like their Kir mixed rather sweet; most Americans prefer to us less Cassis. There is a statue dedicated to the Kir inventor, I believe it is in Dijon, who combined two previously hard to sell wines into what is today's standard aperetif. JP

hike

As far as I can remember, kir was named after a mayor of Dijon Monsieur Kir who could possibly be the inventor of the drink. I usually ask the waiter- bartender to put 2/1 or 1/3 of crème which is normally used.