Kir Royales are what you make for pre dinner cocktails when you want to add a little French class to your dinner party or if you want to jazz up cheap champagne!! Its a champagne cocktail made with champagne and creme de cassis, a sweet dark red blackcurrant liquor.
Serve with Gougeres for pre dinner cocktails, done the French way!
Kir Royale
- What it is: A champagne cocktail hailing from France
- When to serve it: traditionally a pre dinner cocktail, but its right at home at parties and gatherings!
- What Kir Royale tastes like:Champagne thats slightly sweetened with hint of blackcurrant flavour.
- Bonus: Brilliant way to dress up economical champagne!
Youll find this champagne cocktail as a pre dinner drink on the menu of bistros and restaurants all across France. Its a terrific celebratory way to kick off a meal fizzy, sparkling, sweet, and who can resist the colour!
From a practical perspective, its a great way to dress up economical champagne. The creme de cassis is sweet and has a concentrated blackcurrant flavour which will disguise even the cheapest of champagnes!
What goes in Kir Royale
- Creme de cassisis a sweet, dark red liquor made from blackcurrants. Its $27 for a 700ml/24 oz bottle at Dan Murphys (large Australian liquor store); and
- Best champagne for Kir Royale any champagne*, sparkling wine (brut) or Cava is ideal here. Just dont get one thats labelled (or described on the label) as SWEET, because the creme de cassis is sweet and together it will probably be too sweet.
* Technically, sparkling wines can only be called champagne if they are made in the Champagne region of France. They tend to be pricier. But the term champagne is used quite loosely in reference to both real Champagne as well as sparkling wine.
How to make Kir Royales
Creme de cassis first, then top it up with champers!
What to serve with Kir Royales
Kir Royales will go with everything from dips to crostini, a baked brie to Thai Fish Cakes. Have a browse through Party Food and Finger Food and here are a few suggestions:
Suggested finger foods to serve with Kir Royales
If youre having these as a pre dinner cocktail, youd be right on theme serving them alongside Gougeres which are French cheese puffs. In fact, thats exactly what we were served by our host when we stayed in a B&B in Burgundy called La Saura a couple of months ago! Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Kir Royale (French champagne cocktail)
Recipe video above. Youll find this sweet, sparkling champagne cocktail offered as a pre dinner drink in bistros and restaurants all across France. Having said that though, Id drink these all night long at a party!
- 2 tsp Creme de cassis ((blackcurrent liquor, Note 1))
- 185ml/ 3/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine ((Note 2))
- Pour creme de cassis in a champagne glass, then top with Champagne and serve!
-
In reality, you don't need to measure just eyeball it by colour, take a sip and adjust to taste! Some people like it sweeter, with a deeper red. Some people like just a tiny hint of blackcurrent.
1. Creme de cassisis a sweet, dark red liquor made from blackcurrants. Its $27 for a 700ml/24 oz bottle at Dan Murphys (large Australian liquor store).
2. Best champagne for Kir Royale any champagne*, sparkling wine (brut) or Cava is ideal here. Just dont get one thats labelled (or described on the label) as SWEET, because the creme de cassis is sweet and together it will probably be too sweet.
Life of Dozer
Flashback: that time I washed all his toys and he sat there, staring forlornly at them!
The post Kir Royale (French champagne cocktail) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.