When I worked as an au pair in the Loire Valley in 1979, I sampled many fabulous wines, from Sauvignons to Cabernets, but it was the cocktails that I remember fondly. The Lillet and the Kir were two of my favorites. Oh, and the French 75, of course!
The Kir cocktail that I sampled in France was s a combination of dry Burgundy, white wine, and blackcurrant liquor. These flavors combined to produce tart and sweet flavors – a delightful combination. This drink, popular throughout France, was originally called a blanc-cassis, but renamed a Kir, in honor of a revered priest and resistance hero in France, Felix Kir. There is also a variation called the “Kir Royale” where you substitute champagne for wine.
Here is a simple Kir recipe from Saveur.com.
-6 oz. chilled dry white wine (preferably aligoté, bourgogne blanc, or pouilly-fuissé)
-2 Tbsp. crème de cassis.
Pour wine into a wine glass and add crème de cassis, ensuring the mixture attains a dark rosé hue.
The Lillet, produced in le Bordeaux region of France, is a combination of white wine and orange liqueurs. It was invented in 1872 by two brothers, Raymond and Paul Lillet, who were wine and spirit merchants at the time. Their inspiration came from an 18th-century physician who had worked in Brazil, Father Kerman, who introduced the concept by adding quinine to wine to ease malaria symptoms. With this concept in mind, the Lillet brothers developed their “tonic wine.”
The French 75 cocktail, a combination of champagne and gin, packs a wallop. Deemed the “most powerful drink in the world” by British novelist Alec Waugh, legend has it that this cocktail was introduced in 1915 at Harry’s American Bar in Paris, aptly named after a World War One 75 millimeter French artillery gun.
Bon Appétit provides a delicious recipe below.
-2 oz. London dry gin
-¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
-¾ oz. simple syrup
-2 oz. champagne
Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into a large flute. Top with Champagne; garnish with lemon twist.
If you would like to read more about my early experiences in France in 1979 and 1980, you can purchase my eBook or paperback at Amazon by clicking on this link, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley The audiobook version is also available at Audible.co
They sound as yummy as a meal, Linda!