Definition: Kir

A very popular aperitif in France, made with light white wine, originally Burgundy Aligoté, but in restaurants, often a dull or neutral wine and a dash of crème de cassis liqueur. The ratio is two parts wine to one part crème de cassis. For a Kir Royal, the white wine is replaced by champagne (often a sparkling wine). When prepared with red wine, it is called a "communard". It owes its name to Canon Félix Kir (1876-1968), leader of the Lyon Resistance and former deputy mayor of Dijon for 22 years, who popularised this drink in the 1950s, to the point of giving it his name. This Commander of the Legion of Honour (1957) will remain a charismatic figure for the people of Burgundy.

In fact, the aperitif that Félix Kir offered to his countless French and foreign guests at the Town Hall was not his own invention; it was an old recipe from the winegrowers of the Côte d'Azur, known as blanc-cassis.