Dijon, France

Kir Royale

Also known as Kir Royal, Champagne Kir

A simple, elegant mix of tart blackcurrant liqueur and dry Champagne that goes down way too easy.

blackcurrantchampagnebubblysweetberryaperitifbrunchlow-alcoholfrenchsimple

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is all crisp, dry bubbles and bright berry sweetness. The middle settles into a richer, jammy blackcurrant flavor that coats your tongue, while the finish snaps back to dry toast and acidity from the wine.

Who will like it

Great for people who like dry, bubbly drinks with a touch of fruit sweetness but no heavy spirits.

When to drink

Serve this right at the start of a night or at brunch—it's a classic aperitif that wakes up your palate.

Ordering tip

Ask for a drier Champagne if you want less sweetness overall, since the crème de cassis already brings a lot of sugar to the glass.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $12–$25Glass: FluteBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a straightforward, fruit-forward drink that leans sweet but gets pulled back by dry, toasty bubbles. The blackcurrant hits you immediately with a dark berry jam flavor, while the Champagne adds crispness and a little bready depth underneath. It is light and very easy to drink, with no heavy alcohol burn or deep layers to puzzle over. You just taste the fruit, feel the bubbles, and it is gone.

Finish: The finish is short and dry, with the tart tannins of the cassis and the crisp acidity of the wine lingering for a moment before fading out cleanly.

Primary tastes

sweetfruity

Secondary

sourearthy

Aroma

blackcurrantbriochecitrus oil

Bitternesslow bitterness
Only a faint earthy edge from the blackcurrant, nothing that reads as truly bitter.
Sweetnessfairly sweet
The crème de cassis brings a heavy dose of sugar that sits right up front on the palate.
Sournessmild acidity
The Champagne's natural tartness cuts the sweetness but doesn't make the drink taste sour.
Strengthlow strength
At roughly wine-strength ABV, this is a lighter drink you can sip over a long conversation.
Refreshingvery refreshing
Cold, dry bubbles and bright fruit make this extremely crisp and thirst-quenching.
Creaminesslight and sharp
The texture is sharp and effervescent with no creamy or heavy weight on the tongue.
Complexitystraightforward
Two ingredients mean what you see is what you get—berry and bubbles, simple and direct.

Recipe

Make it at home

Built · Flute · equal parts on Champagne. Dry Champagne or quality traditional method sparkling wine; Brut recommended

Before you start

Make sure your Champagne is well chilled straight from the fridge, and have your flute ready on the counter.

Ingredients

ChampagneBase SpiritBrut Champagne or dry sparkling wine120ml
Crème de CassisLiqueurBlackcurrant liqueur10ml

Garnish: Lemon twist

Tools

Bar spoon · Mixing
Gently stirring the cassis and Champagne together without destroying the bubbles
At home: A long iced tea spoon
Jigger · Measuring
Measuring the crème de cassis so the drink doesn't end up too sweet
At home: A measuring spoon or shot glass
Flute · Serving
Holding the drink and keeping the bubbles intact as long as possible
At home: A white wine glass if you don't have a flute

Steps

1
Pour 10ml of crème de cassis into your empty flute. You want the syrupy liqueur in the glass first so the Champagne mixes it as it pours in.
!Pouring the Champagne in first makes it much harder to get the cassis to mix evenly without aggressive stirring.
2
Tilt the flute at an angle and slowly pour in 120ml of cold Champagne, letting it run down the side of the glass. This keeps the drink from foaming up and overflowing the rim.
!Pouring straight down into the center will cause a huge foam-up and you will lose half your drink over the bar.
3
Take your bar spoon and give the drink one slow, gentle stir from the bottom to lift the cassis up through the wine. Stop as soon as the color looks even—you'll know you're done when the pale pink turns a steady, rich ruby all the way through.
~5s
!Stirring too fast or too much will beat the gas out of the Champagne and leave the drink flat.
4
Hold a lemon peel over the glass, yellow side down, and give it a quick twist so a fine mist of oils sprays across the surface. Drop the peel in or discard it—either way, you just want that bright citrus scent on top.
!Squeezing the peel too hard drops big bitter drops of lemon juice into the drink instead of a fine oil mist.

Serve

Serve it right away in the flute while the bubbles are still lively. No ice goes in the glass, so the chill has to come straight from the bottle.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Champagne

ChampagneCremant de Bourgogne
Match
Common availability
Champagne → Cremant de Bourgogne: Slightly less toasty and a bit more orchard fruit, but very close in style and traditionally correct.
ChampagneProsecco
Match
Common availability
Champagne → Prosecco: Adds more pear and apple fruit with softer bubbles, making the drink rounder and a touch sweeter.

Swap options for Crème de Cassis

Crème de CassisCrème de Mûre
Match
Specialty availability
Crème de Cassis → Crème de Mûre: Swaps blackcurrant for blackberry, making the drink slightly tarter and less syrupy.
Crème de CassisChambord
Match
Common availability
Crème de Cassis → Chambord: Brings black raspberry and vanilla notes instead of straight blackcurrant, making the drink slightly more complex.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Kir

The Kir uses still white wine instead of Champagne, making it flat and slightly heavier.

Match

The Kir tastes similar but feels heavier and less celebratory without the lift and texture of the bubbles.

In common: Built in glass, Low ABV, Fruit-forward, French origin

Ingredients

Both share

Crème de Cassis

Only in Kir Royale

Champagne

Only in Kir

White Wine

The only difference is the wine: still Aligoté in the Kir versus sparkling Champagne in the Royale.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Sweet blackcurrant backbone, Dry, acidic wine counterbalance, Simple two-ingredient build

How Kir differs

Flat texture, Slightly heavier body, Less refreshing

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Black Velvet

Black Velvet uses stout beer instead of cassis, swapping berry sweetness for roasted malt.

Match

Where Kir Royale is bright and fruity, the Black Velvet is dark, earthy, and slightly bitter from the stout.

In common: Built in glass, Champagne-based, Served in a flute

Ingredients

Both share

Champagne

Only in Kir Royale

Crème de Cassis

Only in Black Velvet

Stout Beer

The cassis is replaced entirely by stout, turning a fruity aperitif into a dark, malty drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Effervescent texture, Crisp chill, Low alcohol strength

How Black Velvet differs

Roasted and bitter, Dark grain notes, No fruit sweetness

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

French 75

The French 75 adds gin and lemon juice, making it stronger and sharply tart instead of sweet.

Match

The French 75 hits you with gin heat and sharp lemon, while the Kir Royale stays soft and sweet.

In common: Champagne-based, Citrus garnish, Refreshing and celebratory

Ingredients

Both share

Champagne

Only in Kir Royale

Crème de Cassis

Only in French 75

Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

The French 75 brings gin, citrus, and sugar to the Champagne, replacing the cassis entirely with a sour framework.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Bubbly refreshment, Crisp chill, Dry wine undertones

How French 75 differs

Sharp citrus tartness, Noticeable gin botanicals, Higher alcohol kick

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The drink is named after Félix Kir, a mayor of Dijon who served the white wine and cassis mix to visiting delegations in the 1940s to promote local Burgundian products. The Royale version simply swaps the still Aligoté wine for Champagne, a change that became popular as the drink spread beyond Burgundy.

Creator: Félix Kir
Era: 1940s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA contemporary classics
Confidence

The IBA lists this as an official contemporary classic with a 10ml cassis to 90ml Champagne ratio, but 120ml of Champagne is standard in practice to fill a flute properly.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Chill your Champagne thoroughly before opening so the pour stays calm.
Add the cassis to the glass first so the incoming wine does the mixing for you.
Use a Brut Champagne to balance out the heavy sweetness of the cassis.
A light lemon twist over the top cuts the sweetness with bright citrus oils.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't use a sweet or demi-sec Champagne or the drink will be cloying.
Don't stir aggressively or you will flatten the wine instantly.
Don't use cheap cassis with artificial flavor; it tastes like cough syrup.