Vive la Kir

Happy 14th of July everyone! No, the celebrations of July 4th haven't left us with residual brain damage-- the 14th of July is Bastille Day, when our Gallic friends across the pond celebrate the birth of their fine democracy. Rather, more correctly, July 14th is known in France as "Fete Nationale," (literally, "National Day,") and commemorates the Fete de la Federation, an official event in 1790 which established France's short lived constitutional monarchy, a full year after the extraordinarily bloody events of the Storming of the Bastille. On this day the French celebrate their national hero's with parades, songs, fireworks, and of course, wine. You too can celebrate a great hero of French history AND have yourself a fine cocktail at the same time, thanks to a funny little Catholic priest by the name of Felix Kir.

Canon Kir

In the summer of 1940, as you may recall, France was in poor shape. On May 10th the German army had begun their blitzkrieg attack on the low countries, and quickly advanced deep into France. By early June the Nazis were at Burgundy's doorstep, and the government in the provincial seat of Dijon promptly fled. Into this executive vacuum stepped Canon Felix Kir, a local parish curate, who declared himself mayor and quickly reestablished order. Later that month Dijon fell, and for lack of any other suitable authority figure, Kir was kept on by the Nazis as town overseer. For the next four years, Kir occupied himself with the Resistance wherever possible. By employing municipal employees to forge false identification for escaped prisoners, it is estimated that Kir is responsible for saving over 5,000 lives. When the Nazis caught on Kir was promptly sentenced to death; he spent 57 days in a death cell until his sentence was commuted.

Upon conclusion of the war Kir was overwhelmingly elected mayor, and held that office until his death in 1968. Despite his glowing reputation as a civil servant and war hero, Kir's mayorship was punctuated by numerous manifestations of his boisterous personality- for instance, the good mayor had the unfortunate habit of playing traffic cop; his occasional forays on the Coin du Miroir yielded some if the worst traffic jams in the city's history. Nevertheless he was universally loved, and so it is only natural that the grateful people of France renamed his favorite cocktail in his honor: thus, the blanc-cass is now the kir!

It is not surprising that the kir was a French favorite during the 40's. Though it may be argued that war is good for the economy, it is most certainly not good for wine. The first World War had left France's vineyards, and its population, in shambles, and just when they were starting to get back in the swing of things, enter the Germans! With few men to work the fields, (and few fields to be worked), most of the population was relegated to drinking low quality wine produced to the highest yield. Many of the white wines of Canon Kir's time were either washed out or mouth-puckeringly acidic-- but add a little creme de cassis, a syrupy liqueur of the black currant, and voila!-- all the rough edges are smoothed out, all the gaps filled in, and what was once bland and bitter is now sweet and delicious.

Kir Redux

The Kir has three major points going for it: The first being that it is very tasty, the second that it is easy to make (pour liqueur in glass over wine, drink) and the third that it lends itself quite handily to customization. Following are some of the many incarnations of the Kir:

Traditional Kir: 4 parts Aligote de Bourgogne
                      1 part Creme be Cassis

This is how the Canon liked them-- heavy on the syrup, topped off with Aligote, the second white grape of Burgundy, which was much easier to come by that its cousin Chardonnay. Though Aligote has a reputation as grassy and acidic, some are quite lovely-- try the Celine et Laurent Tripoz Bourgogne Aligote 2006 --$14.99.  More well balanced than the norm, this wine is perfect for the cocktail, but also a nice accompaniment to broiled white fish.

IBA Kir: 9 parts white wine
            1 part creme de cassis

This is how the International Bartending Association defines a Kir: lighter on the syrup, and more open to alteration. Indeed, practically any white wine will work for this interpretation, but try to keep it unoaked and light. Some of our favorites include Chateau La Roche St Jean Blanc, $8.99 and Domine La Hitaire, $7.99.

Kir Royale: 9 parts Champagne
                 1 part creme de cassis

Possibly even more popular than its still cousin, the Kir Royale is a sparkling version which makes for a lovely presentation. Save yourself some money and skip the Champagne, substituting a Prosecco like the Zardetto ($12.99), or cheaper French sparkler like the St. Meyland ($11.99).

The list goes on, but we'll leave that to your imagination-- so feel free to experiment! For our cassis, we like to use Massenez-- being from France, it is one of the most traditional on the market, and a good deal less sweet than some of its domestic counterparts. Also, put your own twist on the classic by using Creme de Peche (peach) or Fraise (strawberry), as it may suit your taste.  (If refrigerated, these liqueurs will keep for many months, so don't be afraid of over buying). 

Break some out at your next dinner party, pour a hearty dollop into your glass, and cry "A votre sante!" for the good Canon. Thanks to this simple beverage, his legacy will not soon be forgotten.

Cheers,

From your Libation loving Specialist,

Rob Rutledge