Summer shouldn’t pass by without enjoying Elderflower...whether in soda water, a cocktail or in a delicious lemon tart. Our Elderflower Elixir has a perfect balance of sweet and citrus with strong floral notes that awakens childhood memories for many of us.
Often when we think of making cocktails, we think of complicated ingredients and gadgets and fancy moves, which in some cases can be true. However, the most popular ones usually are very simple. This is also true in the case of Kir and its cousin, the Kir Royale.
Legend says that during WWII, a priest called Felix Kir saved the lives of some 5,000 prisoners and soon became a national hero in Dijon, France. (like the mustard, but different story)
Right after the war he was elected mayor of the city where he would invite and loved to entertain foreign diplomats. Since the Nazi soldiers confiscated all the red Burgundy wine in the region, he had to be creative with how to serve his now many international guests to show off the region’s local wine. This is when he came up with mixing local white (Aligoté) wine with crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to make it look like red wine and enhance its flavor.
This simple but clever drink then spread across the globe and today is celebrated as a classic cocktail with many variations - which don’t always have to be redd(ish) in color. This is why we thought it would be nice to pair a good Chablis or Chardonnay with Elderflower Elixir.
If you feel like giving it more excitement, switch to prosecco or champagne instead of wine and you can now call it an Elderflower Kir Royal! If you are only in it for the bubbly but no alcohol, mix the Elderflower Elixir with soda water and top it up with some fresh mint leaves...delish!
Elderflower Kir Ingredients:
5 oz white wine or sparkling wine
2 oz Elderflower Elixir
rocks
Mint leaves (optional)
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