from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
A Kir Apéritif.
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In some parts of New York, London, Tokyo, and even Paris the aperitifs Kir and Kir Royal are looked down on as passé. Nevertheless, the 80-year-old wine and blackcurrant flavored Kir aperitifs from Burgundy are, inside France, still in the top ten.
The original Kir
The original Kir includes the dry, white Aligoté AOP wine from Burgundy and a touch of Crème de Cassis the sweet 15-20% alcoholic blackcurrant Ratafia (cordial) also from Burgundy. The result is a sweet blackcurrant flavored aperitif served in a wine glass. (For more about ratafias see the end of this post).
The Kir Royal
Kir Royal is a Kir upgrade where the white wine is replaced with a dry Champagne and it will be served in a Champagne flute. A dry Champagne is used as even semi-sweet Champagne with the already sweet blackcurrant makes for a sickly sweet drink. Today, in Burgundy, the Champagne in the Kir Royal is often replaced with Burgundy’s own sparkling white Crémant to make the Kir Royal 100% Burgundian.
Both of these apéritifs are named after Canon Felix Kir, a priest who, earned fame in the French resistance during WWII and went on to be elected Deputy Mayor of the city of Dijon, the capital of the department of Côte-d'Or in Burgundy. To boost Burgundy Felix Kir exclusively served these, his favorite aperitifs, at all official receptions. Felix Kir did not invent Kir or Kir Royal but he certainly made them famous and unwittingly immortalized his own name. (Since 1-1-2016 Burgundy with its four departments has administratively become part of the new super region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté).
Kir Imperial
Along the way, someone wanted to trump the Kir Royal and created a Kir Imperial. Here une larme, a drop, of Marc de Champagne AOC is added to the Champagne and Crème de Cassis. That ups the overall alcohol content and provides a drier Kir Royale. (For more about Marc’s see the end of this article). Marc de Champagne and other Marcs including Burgundy’s own Marc de Bourgogne are produced similarly to Italian Grappa; a brandy made from the left-over grapes leaves and other bits from wine production that has a 40% alcohol content. Marc de Champagne was awarded an AOC in 2008 and Marc de Bourgogne in 2011.
The excellent sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne and the Marc de Bourgogne to replace Champagne and the Marc de Champagne were not around when Canon Felix Kir was alive, but since both are 100% Burgundian creations Canon Kir would undoubtedly have approved. If you are dining in Burgundy then a Kir is the only aperitif.
Kir outside Burgundy
Order a Kir or Kir Royal today outside of Burgundy, and the wines and blackcurrant cordial will usually have been replaced by local products; though that may make Canon Kir turn over in his grave. There are eight sparkling French Crémants that may or may not replace the original Champagne in the Kir Royal and there is a ninth Crémant, but it comes from Luxembourg and Canon Kir may not approve; however, Luxembourg is in the EU.
Blackcurrants in French are Baies de Cassis
At the heart of any genuine Kir is Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis, its alcoholic blackcurrant alcoholic cordial, also called a ratafia. Black currants had always been part of Burgundy’s wine country, but originally they represented a tiny part of the economy. Then in the 1860s Burgundy’s and all the other French vineyards were attacked by the phylloxera aphid which arrived from the New World. These horrible little insects decimated nearly all of France’s wine industry, and it took over twenty years to recover. While waiting for American rootstock that was not affected to replace the susceptible European vines between many of the rows of Burgundy’s grapes blackcurrants were planted. With the recovery of the vineyards with there are still many vineyards with blackcurrants planted between the rows and so they see two harvests a year, Blackcurrants from June through August, with the grapes usually beginning to be harvested in Mid-September.
Kir and Kir Royale are equally popular outside of the region of Burgundy. Only a few purists demand a white wine and a blackcurrant ratafia from Burgundy, and though I may be banned from Burgundy forever for saying so there are excellent Kirs in other areas. In the Alsace, I enjoy Kirs made with the Alsace’s fabulous Riesling and a Crème de Cassis Alsacienne and a Kir Royal with a Crémant d'Alsace. For those who need it, a Marc d'Alsace AOP is available.
Other parts of France have taken to honoring Canon Kir’s name:
Kir Breton and Kir Normande
Kir Breton and Kir Normande are the Brittany’s and Normandy’s way to honor Canon Kir’s name. These two regions grow few wines, but they do have fantastic still and sparkling ciders. There, replacing the Champagne in the local Kir aperitifs will be a dry, sparkling cider. These make an interesting change and enjoyed when I am visiting; though I quickly return to the wine and crémant versions when I am outside those two regions.
Kir Royal d’Auvergne
Kir Royal d’Auvergne - The Auvergne’s take on the aperitif made using the local Saint-Pourçain Mousseaux lightly sparkling wine and an Auvergne crème cassis, its black currant liquor.
Blackcurrants
Page 369 of "Dictionnaire-manuel-illustré
des sciences usuelles (1897).
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Kir Berrichon
Berry is a historic French province that during the French revolution was divided into two departments, Cher and Indre, both in the Loire Valley and here a Kir Berrichon is made with a glass of a chilled, light, local red wine, and a blackberry cordial, a crème de mûre. Using a blackberry cordial/ratafia and a red wine is a long step from the original but they still use the name Kir. There is a white sparkling Crémant de Loire AOP, but here they have still chosen a red.
Outside of France do not be surprised to see other wines used and I have seen that fabulous Italian sparkling wine a Prosecco offered as a Kir Royale. A good Prosecco is a fabulous wine, and I believe it should be enjoyed on its own, but like those who demand Champagne in their Kir Royal, there are those who demand Prosecco.
Ratafias
Ratafias were the forerunners of most alcoholic, eau-de-vies, fruit liquors/cordials including Crème de Cassis. The name ratafia comes from the Latin “rata fiat” to settle or “ratify” an agreement. Back then, as still happens today, a deal could be sealed with a drink: "let's drink on it.” Cassis was first made into a liqueur during the 18th century when sweet alcoholic fruit ratafias became fashionable under France’s King Louis XV.
The most famous blackcurrant ratafia was the Ratafia de Neuilly from Neuilly-sur-Seine in the department of Hauts-de-Seine which is right next to Paris. The Ratafia de Neuilly laid the ground for Creme de Cassis with blackcurrants and an alcoholic base that didn’t need wine. Another ratafia that doesn’t include wine is Pommeau made in Normandy with fresh apple juice and Calvados.
The Ratafia de Neuilly
set the ground for Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis.
The story behind Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis began in 1841 with two café owners from Dijon, Auguste-Denis Lagoute and Henri Lejay, traveling to Paris to taste the famous Ratafia de Neuilly. With a plentiful supply of blackcurrants back home the two decided to develop their own recipe and so Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne was launched.
City hall at Neuilly-sur-Seine
Maison LEJAYstill bears the name of one of the founders and has its a French-language website that can be read clearly with the Bing or Google translate apps:
Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne hold an IGP rating and those bottles with labels marked Crème de Cassis de Dijon are considered by many to be the very best.
Crème de Cassis de Dijon
I am sure that Canon Kir sitting in heaven surrounded by angels carrying bottles would have been pleased with the appearance of Burgundy’s fine Crémant that often replaces Champagne. But, he would have been completely floored with the additions in 2016 of the Grand Eminent Crémant de Bourgogne aged for a minimum of 36 months with its lees months, and the Eminent Crémant de Bourgogne, aged with lees for a minimum of 24 months. (I understand very little about lees but was told that for white wines these are yeasts which if not handled correctly can destroy a wine but under strict controls can make a superior wine fantastic).
Crémant de Bourgogne
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2014, 2019, 2023
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We often serve Kir Royale when we have family or guests over.
ReplyDeleteI use Cremant d'Alsace
Mike ;-)
Hi Mike, You have excellent taste. In my opinion the white wines of the Alsace are, with two exceptions, among the best white wines of France. Like you I believe the Cremant d'Alsace leads the Cremants; however, when I am in Burgundy I stay with tradition. And, while it may be needless to say, I have yet to see a Burgundy wine shop that stocks their competition from the North!
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