The Best of Burgundy: Crème de Cassis
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photograph by Christopher Hirsheimer Alcohol has been macerated with black currants (cassis) in France at least since the 18th century, and for almost that long, Dijon has been known for its black currant liqueur, crème de cassis. If this rather old-fashioned product continues to enjoy great popularity today, it is doubtless thanks to the onetime mayor of Dijon, Canon Kir. According to the story, Kir—who was noted for his naïve rustic wit (“The solution to heavy traffic,” he once announced, “is to increase the duration of the green lights and reduce the duration of the reds”)—noticed in the 1940s that sales of this civic symbol were flagging, and so invented the wine-and-cassis cocktail that bears his name today. Crème de cassis is also produced in other parts of Burgundy, it should be noted. We’re partial to the one made by Jean-Baptiste Joannet in Arcenant, near Nuits-St-George; it’s brambly, fruity, and good.
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