Kir Royale

Champagne and crème de cassis — the sparkling version of the Kir aperitif named for Dijon mayor Félix Kir, who promoted it at official receptions from 1945 to 1968.

The Kir Royale is the champagne expression of the Kir aperitif, which itself is named for Félix Kir — the Roman Catholic priest, French Resistance member, and politician who served as mayor of Dijon from 1945 until his death in 1968 at age 92. Kir had been an active member of the Resistance during the German occupation of France and became a celebrated local figure after liberation. As mayor of Dijon, he promoted the local wine economy by consistently serving a mixture of white Burgundy wine with crème de cassis — the blackcurrant liqueur produced in Burgundy since the 19th century — at official municipal receptions, popularizing the combination throughout the diplomatic and business circles that passed through the region. The preparation pre-existed Kir's promotion of it but became nationally and internationally known as a Kir through his advocacy. The Kir Royale substitutes champagne or crémant for the still white Burgundy wine, transforming the simple aperitif into a more celebratory preparation whose effervescence and the cassis's deep crimson color make it one of the most visually striking French aperitivo cocktails. The champagne version spread internationally through the 1970s and 1980s as French bistro culture reached global audiences.