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Kir Royale

Name: Kir Royale
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 15 ml Crème de cassis; 120 ml Brut sparkling wine

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (91)

Measurements in:

Serves:

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Ingredients
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Crème de cassis liqueur
4 fl oz	Brut champagne/sparkling wine (chilled)

How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Flute glass

Prepare

Select a FLUTE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of a seasonal berry (e.g. blackcurrant).

Method

POUR cassis into chilled glass.
TOP with sparkling wine.

Garnish

Garnish with berry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Kir Royale contains 121 calories

Alcohol content:

1 standard drinks
11.72% alc./vol. (23.43° proof)
13.7 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Brut champagne/sparkling wine — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

A sparkling version of the Kir Apéritif, which is thought to have first been mixed in 1904 at Café George in Dijon, France. It is named after Canon Félix Kir, who promoted the mixture while Mayor of Dijon.

Review

Champagne/sparkling wine replaces Bourgogne Aligoté white wine in this 'Royal' rendition of Mayor Canon Kir's classic apéritif. Easy to make, easy to drink.

Depending on the brand, brut champagne/sparkling wine may lack the acidity needed to balance the rich crème de cassis, so consider using a brut nature or ultra brut champagne.

AKA: Kir Pétillant

Cocktail of the day:

22nd January 2026 is Felix Kir's birthday

Variations/similar cocktails

Kir Apéritif, based on Bourgogne Aligoté white wine predates the Kir Royale.

If made with crémant, cava or another sparkling wine other than champagne, then this drink becomes a Kir Pétillant. (Pétillant is French for sparkling.)

Comments & Discussion

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Avery Garnett 2y

Whilst the Kir Apertif is a boozy wine ribena in a pretty good way, this is a boozy wine ribena in a pretty bad way sadly.

Renz C 2y

The quickest way to ruin champagne. Cassis is lovely but not in this. The luxurious, rich flavour of the champagne is made a chav drink with an overwhelming confected blackcurrant flavour.