The River City Kir: sparkling hard apple cider with a splash of cherry liqueur. Something so simple shouldn’t need a complicated origin story.
[Pauses awkwardly, before rapidly relating a complicated origin story]
A Kir is a French cocktail, a glass of white wine with a bit of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur). There are a number of common variations. The Kir Royal, for instance, uses Champagne instead of still white wine. The Kir Breton uses hard cider. So this most recent invention was inspired by the Kir Breton.
I’ve tentatively titled this drink the River City Kir. I’m open to other suggestions. This is the first cocktail I tried with my homemade cherry liqueur. It’s a knockout. My cider is bone dry, and quite tart, so it takes the sweetness of the liqueur beautifully. And the colour is fantastic.
I can see the River City Kir becoming my house apéritif for the summer months.