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How do you make a Kir Royale? You add Chambord or Creme de Cassis and Champagne together in a Champagne Flute.
A Kir Royale is a fantastic champagne cocktail for whenever you’re feeling fancy.
A dinner party? Sure!
A Christmas party? Absolutely!
Wedding? What could be classier?
But be careful: this cocktail is delicious and entirely boozy.
Wanna know how to make them? Let’s get mixing!
What’s a Kir Royale?
First, let’s get into what a Kir Royale actually is.
A Kir Royale is a Champagne cocktail that add blackberry liqueur to produce and elegant, yet fruity flavour.
The Kir Royale has a number of variations, but all pretty much get you the same flavours.
For example, some people will use Chambord and some will use Creme de Cassis. Some will use Champagne, others sparkling wine.
That’s what’s so great about this drink: it’s versatility.
What You’ll Need to Make a Kir Royale
You can jump right to the Kir Royale recipe right here, but here’s what you’ll need to make it.
Champagne
The primary ingredient in the Kir Royale is Champagne.
Bartenders Tip
Whenever a cocktail has Royale in its name, it usually means the drink contains Champagne.
For Champagne, we recommend:
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But what about Sparkling Wine?
Can I use Sparkling Wine instead of Champagne?
Okay, cut to the chase, man. Can I use Sparkling Wine instead of Champagne? Yes you can, because they are basically the same thing.
Let’s get into it.
Sparkling Wine
Times are tough these days and for a Kir Royale, it’s perfectly acceptable to swap out Champagne for Sparkling Wine in our opinion.
It’s basically the same thing, right? RIGHT?
Champagne vs Sparkling Wine
There’s a saying that’s relevant here: All Champagne is Sparkling Wine, but not all Sparkling Wine is Champagne.
What that means is Champagne is basically Sparkling Wine, just the most popular and prestigious brand of Sparkling Wine.
Champagne is a region in Northern France that’s governed by strict Sparkling Wine regulations; only certain grapes and production processes may be used in the creation of their Sparkling Wine
So all of the Sparkling Wine that is made in that region is called Champagne. In Spain it can be known as Cava, in Italy it’s Prosecco.
In Short…
Sparkling Wine and Champagne are essentially the same thing.
Our Recommendations
So, yeah – you can use any kind of Sparkling Wine instead of Champagne.
We prefer Prosecco
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Creme de Cassis
The Kir Royale calls for a fruity liqueur alcoholic base and traditionally, Creme de Cassis is used.
What is Creme de Cassis?
Creme de Cassis is a dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants and has been around since 1841.
For Creme de Cassis, we recommend:
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However, some recipes call for the use of Chambord instead.
Chambord
Like Creme de Cassis, Chambod is a fruit-based liqueur. But it’s not made from blackcurrants.
Chambord was created in 1982 and is made from red and black raspberries, Madagascan vanilla, Morrocan citrus peel, honey, and Cognac.
It’s a lovely liqueur that’s particularly good poured over ice cream.
And I think that’s one of these reasons some people prefer to use Chambord over Creme de Cassis: they prefer the flavour of raspberry over blackcurrant, but also it’s sweeter.
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Chambord vs. Crème de Cassis – which should I use?
It basically boils down to what base flavour you want your Kir Royale (or Chambord Royale) to have. Or if you want to be a traditionalist and stick to the ingredients as listed for the classic cocktail.
The choice is entirely, yours.
Champagne Flutes
A cocktail as classy as this, requires the right glass to drink it from.
You can’t serve a Kir Royale in a mug or a pint glass – it has to be a Champagne Flute.
Champagne cocktails = Champagne flutes. It’s like the law.
Here are the Champagne Flutes we recommend:
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How to Make a Kir Royale
Kir Royale
Tweet this Recipe
Share on FacebookIngredients
- 1 tablespoon of Chambord or Creme de Cassis
- Champagne
- 1 frozen blackberry for garnish
Recipe
- Add the Chambord or Creme de Cassis to a Champagne Flute.
- Whilst holding the glass at a 45 degree angle (it helps to preserve the bubbles) top up the glass with Champagne.
- Garnish with a frozen blackberry.
When Should I Drink a Kir Royale?
A Kir Royale is typically a sophisticated and classy drink and the occasion in which to drink the cocktail should be equally as sophisticated and classy.
Such as:
- A dinner party.
- A high-end Hen party.
- A Christmas party.
…and I’m sure you have your own idea of what makes up a classy event.
Me? If there’s any leftover Prosecco (I can’t drink it on it’s own), I’ll drink a Kir then. Usually choosing to use Chambord as we’ve had a bottle of that in the house for years.
A note on Chambord…
Chambord is great over ice cream!
What is a Kir Cocktail?
The Kir Royale is actually an update on an original French cocktails that’s simply called a Kir.
What’s the difference between a Kir and a Kir Royale?
Both of these cocktails have a Creme de Cassis base, however, the Kir traditionally uses White Wine instead of Sparkling Wine.
Why is it called Kir Royale?
It’s called a Kir Royale because the drink contains Champagne and any cocktail that has Royale in it’s name tends to contain Champagne.
History of the Kir Cocktail
The Kir used to be called blanc-cassis but the name was later changed to Kir, after Felix Kir.
Felix Kir was the mayor of Djon and was a prominent figure in the twinning movement after World War 2. Twinning being the joining of cities and towns in the interest of solidifying links between allied countries.
Wait, how is he involved in all of this?
Great question: because Mayor Kir popularised the drink by offering it visiting delegations at the twinning events.
Want More Cocktail Recipes?
Do you love our Kir Royale recipe, but want to try something a little different? We’ve got you covered!
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