Kir Royale Champagne Cocktails

I can’t think of anything more fun and festive than a Kir Royale Champagne Cocktail, the drink I order whenever I am enjoying a special moment in life. And of course it is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays and New Year’s Eve! It couldn’t be easier to make, combining champagne with créme de cassis in a tall flute and topping it with a lemon slice.

Crème de Cassis is a French liqueur made by crushing black currants and macerating them in eau-de-vie (a category of un-aged and distilled brandy from fruit). When it is ready, the solids are strained out and sugar is added. Its slightly sweet fruit flavors perfectly balance the acidity of white wines. 

Kir Royale Champagne Cocktails became popular in post World War II France. After the war, the Burgundy region had very little of their red wines left. To create an alternative to the missing red wines, the Mayor of Dijon added a little of the locally produced Cassis to their dry white wines which completely changed the characteristics of the wine and created a new drink sensation, a Kir, named for the Mayor, a member of the French Resistance, and a local war hero. The new cocktail soon became popular all over France, with each region using their own white wines. A Kir Royale is the combination of cassis with champagne. It is, in my opinion, the quintessential celebration beverage!

If you don’t care for champagne, the sweetness of the cassis, a liqueur made from black currants, mellows the flavor adding a pleasing fruitiness with the bold aroma of a fresh lemon slice tickling your nose. 

This can be as simple as you like, or you can add a couple of berries for more color. The percentage of champagne to cassis is totally up to you. If you want a stronger cocktail, use more champagne. For people who prefer sweeter drinks, adding more cassis will mellow the champagne.

If you want to serve a non-alcoholic version, just use sparkling cider in place of the wine and leave out the liqueur and your children can join you in the toasts! You could add a splash of maraschino cherry juice to make them pink. Anytime you have a celebration I hope you will consider making Kir Royale Champagne Cocktails. They are a sparkling way to toast special occasions!

There are a bunch of bloggers participating in this celebration, each one sharing a favorite recipe that is perfect for parties. These folks are incredibly talented and the items they came up with are breathtaking – and they are gluten-free!

All of us are gluten-free bloggers, regularly sharing the gluten-free foods we serve our families and eat ourselves. You don’t have to feel left out anymore, you can make these gluten-free treats and no one will know they aren’t the same thing they are used to eating!

Be sure to swing by each one (below the recipe) to discover the best party recipes on the Internet!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for Kir Royale Champagne Cocktails:

• Créme de Cassis liqueur or Chambord liqueur, fresh berries
• Dry champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling wine, lemon slices

 

PRO Tip:

Use a medium to good bottle of sparkling wine or champagne for this cocktail. The flavor of a cheap one will definitely show through. If you can afford it, get an imported bottle of real champagne from France. This is a celebration and you deserve the splurge!

 

How to make Kir Royale Champagne Cocktails:

1. Pour Créme de Cassis in the bottom of a champagne flute, add the berries if using
2. Very slowly add the champagne, being careful to watch for foaming and stop when you are about halfway up the glass, then wait for the bubbles to subside before adding more
3. Tuck a lemon slice on the edge of the glass and serve immediately

 

PRO Tip:

The crème liqueur used in this cocktail is not creamy. Crème refers to the high concentration of sugar used in the manufacturing process. They are very sweet, but definitely not cream-based liqueurs.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Jigger (cocktail measuring device)
• Champagne flutes

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

Crème de Cassis, Chambord, and Champagne or sparkling wine are all gluten-free! 

*NOTE: The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Créme de Cassis, a distilled liqueur made from French blackcurrants, is gluten-free according to Celiac.com.

It lends its beautiful deep red color to the champagne in Kir Royale cocktails, giving them a deep blush to rosy color depending on how much you use.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

  

 

Gluten-Free Party Recipes! 

Gluten Free Coconut Cake – What The Fork Food Blog
Gluten Free Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes – Gluten-Free Palate
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes – My Gluten Free Miami
Gluten Free Cookie Cake – Flippin’ Delicious
Summer Beer – Vegetarian Mamma
The Best Gluten Free Cake – gfJules
Mexican Dinner Rolls – Green Healthy Cooking (not gluten-free) 
Summer Cocktails and Mocktails – A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Gluten Free Cookie Cake – A Mind “Full” Mom
Strawberry Lychee Panna Cotta – Brunch-n-Bites
Cucumber Moscow Mule – The Culinary Compass
Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting – Only Taste Matters
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes – Veggie Balance
Virgin Watermelon Margarita – Coffee With Us 3
Elderflower Mojito – Home & Plate
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Stacks – Simply Healthy Family
Watermelon Mint Gin Fizz – Frugal Foodie Mama
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake – Raia’s Recipes
Tequila Sunrise Cocktail – All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Gluten Free Fresh Apple Cake – My Gluten-free Kitchen
Summertime Lemon Cupcakes – For the Love of Food

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in July 2016. The article was updated in 2022.