Kir Royale Cocktail

Toast to the sparkling Kir Royale cocktail, a bubbly and berry-sweet cocktail. With just two ingredients, the classic cocktail is an easy one to throw together for any celebration.

Classic Kir Royale recipe

I wanted to share one more New Year’s-y cocktail before the end of the year! This Kir Royale is a classic French cocktail.

With only two ingredients, it’s one of the first cocktails I learned how to make. It’s bubbly, fruity and perfect for celebrating anything.

It stars champagne, prosecco or other dry sparkling wine coupled with kir, AKA crème de cassis, which is a blackcurrant liqueur. You can also use other fruity liqueurs, like Chambord black raspberry liqueur.

More champagne cocktail recipes: Pink Champagne Cocktail • French 75 • Seelbach Cocktail

Why you’ll love this recipe

You’ll love this bubbly cocktail recipe for a few reasons:

• With just two ingredients, it’s easy to put together.
• It’s fruity and sweet, a great drink for anyone who doesn’t love champagne on its own.
• You can easily make these for a crowd. They’re a great party drink!

Kir vs. Kir Royale

Both the Kir Royale and the Kir drink originated in the Burgundy region of France.

Both drinks get their name from Canon Félix Kir, the mayor of Dijon, France, who was a Catholic priest and French resistance fighter during World War II. He often served the Kir drink, originally called the Vin Blanc Cassis, at local functions.

Also called Kir Vin Blanc, the Kir cocktail is a French drink that combines crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur, with white wine, usually aligoté, a variety of Burgundian white wine. It is usually enjoyed as an apéritif before a meal.

The Kir Royale takes the Kir cocktail up a notch with bubbly French champagne instead of white wine, which helps to balance the sweet liqueur.

Tools & glassware

You can serve these bubbly cocktails in two types of glasses:

• champagne flutes: Classic for sparkling wine, these are gorgeous with a raspberry perched on top. I used stemless champagne flutes in these pictures.
• coupe glasses: Another type of champagne glass is the coupe glass, which I used in these pictures.
• wine glasses: You can also serve this cocktail in a wine glass.

favorite champagne glasses

stemmed champagne flutes

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brass stemless champagne flutes

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paneled coupe glasses

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Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s what to grab at the grocery store:

Crème de cassis or raspberry liqueur

Crème de cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur. Similar to crème de menthe and crème de cacao, it doesn’t contain any cream — the word crème simply refers to the luxury of this sweet, fruity liqueur.

A good substitute for crème de cassis is Chambord, which is a black raspberry liqueur. You can also mix things up with other berry liqueurs like framboise or blueberry liqueur.

Sparkling wine

Because champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France, it can be a tad expensive.

Any kind of dry sparkling wine, such as cava or prosecco, will work here too. Look for “dry,” “brut” or “extra brut” on the label.

My guide to sparkling wine can help you pick out a bottle and tell you more about the different types.

A great budget buy is Freixenet or La Marca, which are both in the $12-15 range. They are of good quality, yet they won’t drain your wallet.

Garnish

To finish off this cocktail, you can add blackcurrants if you can find them, or fresh blackberries or raspberries — or two! Drop them into the drink, perch them on the edge of the glass or spear them on a cocktail pick.

Frozen berries also work well; they float like ice cubes. A lemon twist would also be pretty. You can also serve it without a garnish. It’s a great drink all on its own.

Variations and substitutions

Try one of these variations on this recipe:

Non-alcoholic Kir Royale: Pair blackberry simple syrup or blackberry juice with your favorite non-alcoholic, sparkling mixer, such as club soda, ginger ale, sparkling cider or sparkling lemonade.

Mint Kir Royale: This variation adds a subtle hint of flavor with the addition of mint simple syrup.

How to make a Kir Royale

Making a Kir Royale is super simple! Here’s what to do:

First, pour in the crème de cassis. Then top it up with champagne or whatever bubbly you are using.

Finish it off with a fresh berry for a garnish. Raspberries are classic because the color matches beautifully, but blackberries and blackcurrants would also pair well with the liqueur.

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• Keep the bubbly cold until you’re ready to use it.
• Pour champagne last, and slowly too. As it bubbles and fizzes over the crème de cassis, it’s easier to gauge how much to fill the glasses.
• Garnish with a fresh berry to make the drink really shine.

What to serve with Kir Royales

Kir Royales are a great drink to serve at parties. Enjoy them with a fruity appetizer like a charcuterie board or pear baked brie.

You can also have them with dessert, like lemon bars, raspberry parfaits or raspberry donuts.

This French cocktail would also be delicious with French treats, like madeleines. Serve other French cocktails like the French Gimlet or a French Mule.

FAQ

More champagne cocktails

• Christmas Mimosas
• Champagne Margaritas
• Elderflower French 75
• Champagne Moscow Mule