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
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
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