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| KIR - crème de cassis and wine, S. Webster |
K = Kir, a fruity apéritif
KIR is a popular French alcoholic drink made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and topped with white wine. It can be consumed before or after a meal.
This concoction was originally called blanc-cassis, but has since been named after a previous mayor in Dijon, Burgundy, Felix Kir. He popularized the drink by offering it at receptions to visiting delegations as part of the twinning* movement after WWII. (a sister or twin sister relationship between cities to promote cultural ties). His purpose - to promote economic products of his region to increase its appeal.
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Crème de cassis was developed in 1841, but since the cocktail became a café drink, it has become linked internationally with the name Kir. In France, waiters will ask whether you want one of three choices for your Kir: crème de cassis (blackcurrant), de mûre (blackberry) or de pêche (peach).
I would likely have to try them all to decide which I liked best, but I'd likely prefer the original version with blackcurrant liqueur. At another time in my life, I made my own liqueurs and dandelion wine, and researching this post has reminded me of that.
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Have you had a Kir? Sound interesting? Or do you prefer beer, ale or plain wine? (Distilled spirits are not included in the choices for the purposes of this post, although they are used to make liqueurs. . .)
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References:
KIR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kir_(cocktail)
*Twinning:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_towns_and_sister_cities 'Twinning' between towns/cities
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Cocktail in a wine glass image:
By Stuart Webster from Southampton, England
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic, license.
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