Kir Royale Cocktail
Learn how to make the best Kir Royale with this simple recipe! You'll only need two ingredientsโChampagne and Chambord (or crรจme de cassis).
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Is it too soon for a cocktail? Nah, I donโt think so. Weโve been celebrating with Kir Royale cocktails this summer, and I wanted to introduce you to this delightfully fizzy, lightly pink drink.
The Kir Royale is a Champagne cocktail made with a splash of French berry liqueur. Cocktails truly donโt get any easier.
Kir Royales are a blushing alternative to sparkling rosรฉ or straight Champagne. The simple act of swirling two ingredients together makes Kir Royales seem more celebratory, if you will.
You could serve Kir Royales at birthday parties, showers, brunch, Motherโs Day or Valentineโs Day, or any happy occasion. Theyโre so simple to make and yet still feel a little fancy. Ready?
Kir Royale Ingredients
Kir Royales are so simple to make that you hardly need a recipe. Youโll need two ingredients:
- Chilled Champagne: Champagne is traditional and tastes wonderful. Similar sparkling wines, like Prosecco and Cava, will also work. Whichever you choose, buy a brut (dry) variety so your drinks arenโt too sweet.
- Chambord or crรจme de cassis: Both are berry liqueurs that will turn your cocktail slightly pink and lightly sweet. Both are around 15 to 16 percent alcohol by volume, so they will make your drinks just a touch more boozy.
Add fresh raspberries to your list if you want a cute garnish. For the record, though, my Kir Royales rarely arrive garnished when I order them at a restaurant or bar.
Chambord vs. Crรจme de Cassis
Chambord is a branded French liqueur made with raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. Itโs sweet but complex, incorporating flavors of Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, honey and cognac. Chambord will tint your Champagne a sophisticated peachy-rose color.
Chambord is more expensive, but a small bottle will make many cocktails. I think itโs worth it. If you appreciate St. Germain, youโll also enjoy Chambord.
Crรจme de cassis is made with blackcurrants. Itโs dark, thick, syrupy and sweet. It will make your Kir Royales more intensely pink and sweet (similar to a Cosmopolitan on both accounts).
While it may be the traditional liqueur used to make Kir Royales in France, I havenโt been able to find good crรจme de cassis in the United States.
In short, Chambord is my favorite. It elevates the flavor of Champagne rather than overwhelming it, which is the hallmark of a good Champagne cocktail. If you try them side-by-side like I did, I think youโll agree!
Looking for more simple sparkling cocktails? Here are a few more classics:
Please let me know how you like Kir Royales in the comments. I love hearing from you.
Kir Royale Cocktail
Learn how to make a classic Kir Royale with this simple recipe! Youโll only need two ingredientsโChampagne and Chambord (or crรจme de cassis). Feel free to use a little more or less liqueur to suit your taste buds. Recipe as written yields 1 drink.*
Ingredients
- ยฝ ounce (1 tablespoon) Chambord or crรจme de cassis
- 5 ounces chilled brut (dry) Champagne
- Optional garnish: 1 fresh raspberry
Instructions
- Pour the Chambord into a Champagne flute. While holding the glass at a 45-degree angle (this helps preserve the bubbles), gently pour in the Champagne.
- Garnish with a raspberry, if youโd like. Serve immediately.
Notes
*How to scale this recipe: One bottle of Champage will yield about 5 drinks. One small (375 mL) bottle of Chambord is enough for 25 drinks. So, youโll need five times as much Champagne as Chambord.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Kir Royales are my ALL TIME FAVORITE drink! It is so hard to find places that make these. I am so happy that you posted how to make them! Thank you!!
Youโre very welcome!!
Best drink ever! Chambord is my preferences!
Thank you!
Youโre welcome, Marybeth!
Iโve never tried Chambord in a Kir Royale (intriguing!), but I totally agree that they need a good crรจme de cassis. Weโre lucky in New Zealand to have a local distiller that makes a superb crรจme de cassis thatโs like a pure essence of blackcurrant. Clearly they should be exporting:).
Canโt wait to serve these next time I host book club. And can you talk to me about your glassware?
Hi Sarah! I got these at Crate & Barrel. I love them!
When I visited France many years ago, I drank a Kir. They were made with Chablis and crรจme de cassis. I always thought that if you made a drink with champagne and chambord that was a Kir Royale. The chambord was poured into the flute slowly to make a ring which signifies a โcrownโ. Hence, the Royale designation.
Thanks for sharing, Jill!
Kir Royale is fantastic! I love the different variations youโve listed here. Exquisite!
Thank you, Anthony!
Funny, Iโve been drinking Kirs and Kir Royales for decades and never searched for a recipe until today. Better late than never I guess. I am curious about the comment regarding your inability to find good Creme de Cassis in the states. Are you unable to get Mathilde or do you not consider it good?
Thanks
How much Chambord in the Kir Royale please
Thank you
Chambord is my favorite for Champagne cocktails, but this post is the first place Iโve seen someone actually recommend that! Brava! (NB I generally make them with prosecco / cava / crรฉment unless real Champagne is on saleโฆ.)
Years ago, at Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, DC, I had my first kir royale. There was this nice foam on the top. How do you get that foam?
Hi! Iโm not sure about foam, but you can get some bubbles depending on how your pour your champagne.
I beg to differ on the Chambord โ I prefer creme de cassis. But either way itโs a pretty good cocktail. A twist of lemon peel makes a pretty garnish, and softens the sweetness ever so slightly.
Can I use Le Marca Prosecco? Is that dry enough??
You could try it. Let me know what you think if you do!
Kir Royale is my wifeโs favorite cocktail (which makes it mine as well, got to keep peace).
Albeit, she prefers Prosecco over Champagne.