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...

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

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

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!<BR>

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

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

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

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

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?

Champagne (or white wine) with cr&egrave;me de m&ucirc;re (blackberry) is even better. When mixed with champagne, a friend called it Kir Imperial jokingly. Cr&egrave;me de m&ucirc;re seems more difficult to find but if you do, try this kir imperial.

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

Hi Treesa,<BR><BR>Here are some other suggestions, if you want them:<BR><BR>Desiree:<BR>5 oz c de c<BR>1 oz vodka<BR><BR>Baltic Murder Mystery:<BR>1 oz c de c<BR>1 oz vodka<BR>Fill with 7 up<BR><BR>Executive Sunrise:<BR>1 1/2 oz gold tequila<BR>1/2 oz c de c<BR>4 oz OJ<BR><BR>Don't remember the name, but:<BR>1 1/2 oz dark rum<BR>1/2 oz c de c<BR>2 oz pineapple juice<BR><BR>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!<BR><BR>Karen

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

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!)

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

<BR>I am with you, MelJ ;o)

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

Sandy is right. Kir sounds like &quot;keer&quot;.

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

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 cr&egrave;me which is normally used.