Kir Royale recipe — The French aristocrat who puts on airs but is secretly just wine with a berry habit. Made with champagne. Originally from France.
I'm the effortlessly chic French relative who shows up to brunch in designer everything and makes you feel underdressed. I speak in whispers but command attention, and yes, I did just casually mention my château in Burgundy. I'm low-maintenance but high-impact—basically the Audrey Hepburn of cocktails.
The original Kir was created by Félix Kir, the mayor of Dijon, who served it at official receptions to promote local Burgundy wines and cassis. He was so associated with the drink that it was officially renamed after him in the 1960s.
Born from Mayor Félix Kir's civic pride in 1940s Dijon, this drink was his diplomatic weapon of choice—a way to showcase Burgundy's white wine and blackcurrant liqueur to visiting dignitaries. The 'Royale' upgrade came when someone decided regular wine wasn't fancy enough and swapped in Champagne.
Category: cocktail | Difficulty: easy | Base spirit: champagne | ABV: 11.0-13.0%
Origin: France