Kir

We’re going to tell you the tale of the Kir cocktail recipe in just a moment, but because wine cocktail recipes are freakin’ fantastic, here are some of them to check out: The Red Wine Peach Bellini, the Tropical White Wine Sangria, the Strawberry Wine, and the Rainbow White Wine Spritzer. Now on to the history of the Kir cocktail recipe, which has its roots in World War II and a French resistance movement doing what it could against an invading Nazi army. Really though, Nazis? Yes! According to VinePair, the Kir was “reportedly named for Felix Kir, a Catholic priest and decorated member of the French resistance.” VinePair adds that “When Nazi soldiers marched into Dijon, Burgundy, in 1940, many local officials fled… [but] Kir remained in the city, helping more than 4,000 prisoners of war escape from a nearby camp.” The Kir cocktail recipe Wiki notes that “the reinvention of blanc-cassis [the Kir’s predecessor] (post 1945) was necessitated by the German Army's confiscation of all the local red Burgundy during the war. Faced with an excess of white wine, Kir renovated a drink that used to be made primarily with the red.” Bang, Kir sticks it to the Nazis again! So, yes, this drink is named after a dang World War II hero. Salute these Kir and Kir Royale cocktails!! (We’ll get to the Kir Royale cocktail recipe below.) Wait, what is the Kir cocktail recipe exactly? According to the Kir IBA cocktail page, it’s just dry white wine and Crème de Cassis. And that’s why our Kir cocktail recipe, available as a video and recipe above, is the exact same combination of ingredients. And if you really want to go deep on making a perfectly accurate Kir cocktail recipe, Wine Enthusiast notes that “It’s traditionally made with Aligoté, the ‘other’ Burgundian white variety that isn't Chardonnay, but any leftover dry white wine will do.” So get some Aligoté all up in your life and make the classic Kir cocktail recipe the right way! (Although, to be totally fair, The Spruce Eats notes that “The choice of white wine is something of personal taste; dry wines are preferred, Chablis is a great option.” There’s also the Kir Royale cocktail recipe, which is kind of a cousin cocktail to this one. The kitchn notes that “[the] Kir Royale, differs from Kir in that it is made using Champagne, rather than the Aligoté white wine. Hence it is more expensive to make and typically reserved for celebrations and special occasions.” Right, so if you're looking to make a Kir Royale, be prepared for a kind of fortified champagne experience. If champagne cocktail recipes give you headaches, you'll probably want to stay away from this Kir cocktail variation. As a little postscript here, we'd like to present to you some other Crème de Cassis cocktail recipes: the Claro Cassis, the El Diablo, the Flaming Moe, and Sex on The Beach #2. KIR 1/4 oz. (7.5ml) Creme de Cassis White Wine Garnish: Lemon Twist PREPARATION 1. Add creme de cassis to a wine glass. Top with white wine. 2. Garnish with lemon twist. Serve. DRINK RESPONSIBLY!