Felix Kir: The French Cocktails, Liqueurs, and Digestifs Buying Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Félix Kir: The French Cocktails, Liqueurs, and Digestifs Buying Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Introduction

I named this game for Félix Kir (1876 – 1968), who was the mayor of Dijon in Burgunday, France.  Mayor Kir wanted to promote the products of his region and created a cocktail using crème de cassis (blackberry liqueur – 1 tablespoon) and a white Bourgogne aligoté wine.

The cocktail he made is simply called a kir.  If you use champagne to make it, it is called a kir royal.  Many regions of France make kir with a local, sweet white wine such as Chablis, Vouvray, or Côteaux de Layon.

I like drinking kir royals with rillettes (cooked pork conserved in its fat) and rillons (cooked pork strips conserved in its fat) from Tours in the Loire Valley.

What are the Difference Between Cocktails, Liqueurs, and Digestifs

Cocktail – before-meal drinks, usually sweet

Liqueur – sweet after-dinner drink

Digestif – after-dinner drinks such as Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados (apple brandy) with a high-alcohol content

In the 1990s, the lines between cocktails, liqueurs, and digestifs blurred, especially when people began drinking whiskey as a cocktail.

Today, I would even suggest a light Loire Valley Red such as Chinon, Saumure-Champigny, or Bourgeuil with homemade cheddar cheese sticks, Portuguese New Year’s Eve cheese-and-butter balls (the Brazilians make these, too), or even Cheez-its crackers.

Ten High-Quality Cocktails, Liqueurs, and Digestifs

-Lillet – Bordeaux-region sweet cocktail that comes in white and red versions

-Suze – Alpine herb liqueur that tastes of vanilla and orange

-Chambord – blackberry and raspberry liqueur from the Loire Valley

-Izarra – sweet liqueur that comes in yellow and green versions from the French Basque region

-Benedictine – herb-based liqueur at the Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy

-Chartreuse – French herb brandy made outside Grenoble

-Cointreau – orange liqueur made from sweet and bitter oranges in Angers in the Loire Valley

-Calvados – apple brandy from Normandy

-Poire William – pear eau-de-vie from Alsace

-Mirabelle – yellow plum eau-de-vie from Lorraine

Suggested Appetizers

You can buy most of these items at Fauchon or Hédiard in Paris (France).

-canned vegetable terrines with or without truffles for toast

-slices of warm confit de canard – cooked duck breast that you just have to warm up, slice, and serve on toast

-white asparagus points on toast squares with mayonnaise served with sweet wines.  The cooked, white asparagus points come in a glass jar ready to use.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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