Aligoté white wine + crème de cassis, ratio roughly 9:1, served chilled in a flute. Burgundian aperitif.
Named for Canon Félix Kir, mayor of Dijon 1945-1968 and Resistance hero, who served the drink at city receptions to promote local Aligoté and cassis growers. The drink itself — blanc-cassis — predates him by decades; Kir lent his name and the rights in 1952.
Père Lagoute and Védrenne — both in Burgundy — make the benchmark crème de cassis de Dijon (PGI since 2013, ≥400 g/L blackcurrants, ≥15% ABV). The cassis liqueur predates Kir by a century: Auguste-Denis Lagoute commercialized it in 1841 in Dijon.
Pink-purple, dry-leaning sweet, blackcurrant aroma over crisp Aligoté acidity. 8-10% ABV finished. Served in a flute or small wine glass; goes flat fast in heat. The cassis hits before the wine does.
Aligoté — sharp, austere Burgundy white that's hard to sell straight — gets balanced by sweet cassis. Pour the cassis first (15-20 mL), then the cold wine on top so it mixes without stirring. Wrong wine kills it: oaky Chardonnay turns muddy.
Variations
Kir Royal (cassis + Champagne, the wedding standard); Kir Pétillant or Kir Mousseux (with crémant — Burgundy or Loire — cheaper than Royal); Cardinal (cassis + red wine); Communard (cassis + Beaujolais); Kir Breton (cassis + Breton cider).
On the Palate
Where Kir sits in the French flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 1How it's made
3 steps · 1 min active + 2 min waiting
- 11 min
Pour 10 ml chilled crème de cassis into a champagne flute.
- 21 min
Top with 90 ml chilled Aligoté white wine; the cassis sinks to the bottom.
Watch outPour the cold wine gently over the cassis and let it sink on its own — you're layering it, so no stirring, and you'll see the colour deepen from top to bottom.
- 31 min
Do not stir; sip from the top down for color gradient.
Watch outLeave it unstirred and sip from the top — the gradient is the whole point, and stirring just muddies it into flat pink.
