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Home » Breakfast » Brunch » Kir Royale

Kir Royale

Created: December 9, 2020 Updated: April 21, 2022 by Lyuba Brooke 3 Comments

285 shares
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Kir Royale is a delicious champagne cocktail that features only two ingredients. This simple champagne cocktail is perfect for special occasions and celebrations. It’s lightly sweet, fruity, and bubbly!

fresh raspberries scattered around two Kir Royale cocktails

End of the year parties are a time of celebration, and where there is a celebration, champagne cocktails are usually nearby. Whether it’s a French 75, a Royale Kir, or another sparkly cocktail, there are plenty of options to help you celebrate the end of year!

Kir Royal is not a sweet cocktail but pleasantly refreshing one with a slight touch of sweetness and berry flavor. This is a perfect cocktail to sip while mingling at a party or to make a New Year’s Eve toast. It’s great to make for bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, and Valentine’s day as well!

adding champagne to a glass for a Kir Royale recipe

What is in a Kir Royale?

There are just two ingredients in this drink, but the flavor profile is perfect. The balance of champagne and berry flavors in a Kir Royale taste amazing!

  • Champagne: Any dry, extra dry or brut champagne are perfect for this cocktail recipe. You can also use Prosecco or another sparkling wine, just make sure it is dry and not sweet.
  • Liqueur: Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant), Crème de Framboise (raspberry), or Chambord (raspberry) are the popular and most commonly used liqueurs for this cocktail. You are looking for a sweet berry liqueur with deep flavor, which all three options provide. Choose one that you prefer!
festive pink cocktail in tall glass

Choosing Liqueur for Kir Royale

Chambord is a raspberry French liqueur that, like most liqueurs, is known more for its flavor profile than for it’s alcoholic potency. It’s made with extracts of black raspberries and blackcurrants, French cognac, sweet Madagascan vanilla, and fragrant herbs to complete this sweet and smooth spirit. The flavor is fresh and clean tasting.

Crème de Cassis is made from macerated blackcurrants and it has a strong, almost overly sweet flavor. It is actually more syrupy than most other liqueurs. A little goes a long way with this one! In addition to its use in cocktails, it is also sometimes served as a dessert liqueur.

Crème de Framboise also has a raspberry flavor, but the fruit comes from Serbia rather than France. Framboise has a spicy/peppery aftertaste, a hint of orange, and darker color than Chambord.

If you choose Crème de Cassis, use half the amount of Chambord because of the sweetness.

Tools and Barware Needed

  • Champagne Flutes
  • Jigger to measure the ingredients.
  • Sharp paring knife, Y peeler, or zester – If you decide to add lemon to your cocktail, you’ll need this to make the perfect lemon twist garnish.
fresh raspberries floating in a Kir Royale cocktail

How to make a Kir Royale cocktail

  1. Chill the champagne flutes.
    This is easiest to do while you prepare the other ingredients. Simply fill the flutes with ice and cold tap water and let them stand until ready to make the cocktails. (Empty the glass before making the cocktail.)
  2. Add liqueur to the champagne glass.
    You’ll want to add the liqueur to the glass first. Otherwise, the champagne and liqueur will not mix properly.
pouring chambord into a tall champagne flute
  1. Fill the glass with champagne slowly.
    To account for bubbling, avoid filling your glass more than 3/4 full at first and pour slowly. Otherwise, you may end up with bubbly champagne overflowing the glass. Add more as bubbles settle.
pouring champagne into tall glass champagne flute
  1. Garnish and serve.
    If you use Chambord or Crème de Framboise liqueur, your Kir Royale will be a beautiful pink or pinkish-red color. So, the addition of fresh raspberries makes the perfect finishing garnish. You can also use a lemon twist.
Kir Royale champagne cocktail bubbling over the top of a glass

FAQ

Can I use something other than champagne?

Yes! There is another version of this cocktail recipe, for those who don’t love the bubbles. It is actually the traditional Kir cocktail, which uses dry white wine like Chablis or Chardonnay instead of Champagne.

Do liqueurs have to be refrigerated?

With the exception of cream based liqueurs like Baileys Irish cream, most liqueurs are perfectly fine kept at room temperature. In fact, if you store them in a cool, dry location, many of them will last for months without spoiling!

Where else can I use these liqueurs?

There are a lot of other ways to use Chambord liqueur (as well as Crème de Cassis)! You can:

  • Add it to ice cream, or drizzle it over an ice cream sundae.
  • You can also use it with sherbet or sorbet. (Crème de Cassis is especially good poured over creamy sherbets.)
  • Use it in desserts like poke cake and tiramisu.
  • Make other cocktails with it, like a Chambord Bramble or a Zipper.

MORE COCKTAIL RECIPES

For those who prefer cocktails without champagne, consider making a Lemon Drop Martini or a Cosmopolitan. It has the perfect combination of sweet and sour in a refreshing cocktail to have with, before, or after dinner. 

Or, keep the festive holiday drinks circulating with this coquito recipe, for a delicious Christmas drink that feels like a tropical dessert and cocktail all in one!

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

PIN THIS RECIPE

festive pink cocktail in tall glass

Kir Royale

This simple champagne cocktail is perfect for special occasions and celebrations. It's lightly sweet, fruity, and bubby!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 143kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Chambord (or Crème de Cassis or Cream de Framboise)
  • 4-6 oz champagne

Garnish:

  • raspberries, blackberries, or lemon twist
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Chill the glass: fill champagne flutes with ice and cold water. Let it sit while gathering the ingredients. Empty the glasses before making the cocktail.
  • Pour liqueur into the champagne flute.
  • Fill the glass with champagne slowly.
  • Garnish with raspberries, blackberries, or a lemon twist.
  • Serve right away.

Notes

Note: if using Crème de Cassis, use about 1/2 oz. because it is much sweeter and more syrupy than Chambord. 

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 100mg | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
titled Pinterest photo: full length champagne flute filled with Kir Royale Cocktail

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

285 shares

Filed Under: Brunch, Champagne, Cocktail, Drink, Mother's Day, New Year's, Valentine's Day

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Renee says

    March 22, 2023 at 2:24 pm

    I made this drink for a party and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  2. Glenda says

    December 11, 2020 at 11:49 am

    5 stars
    This looks lovely! I think we’ll have these for Christmas. I love your champagne flutes! Thank you for sharing! Happy Holidays!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 16, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Thank you, Glenda!

      Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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