I’ve been celebrating a lot lately: new parenthood, my daughter’s first birthday, my first Mother’s Day, the arrival of summer and sunshine, the start of my neighborhood farmers market…well, let’s just say there have been all sorts of excuses reasons for celebrating. And, in my book, celebrations call for a bit of bubbly.

I love champagne, prosecco and cava and usually prefer them straight up. But it just so happens that I have a bottle of cassis liqueur from Finger Lakes Distilling, a fantastic distillery in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, not far from where I grew up. Big Papa and I visited there a couple years ago and brought home the cassis along with some truly amazing gin. The cassis has been sitting on the shelf, begging for attention.

Enter the Kir, Kir is a popular French cocktail made with crème de cassis (black current) liqueur, traditionally topped with white wine. In France, Kir is usually enjoyed as an aperitif before a meal.

Kir was coined in French cafes in the middle of the 19th century and was further popularized by Felix Kir after World War II. The then mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, France, he served the drink often to promote some of his region’s products (wine and cassis liqueur). The name Kir has been associated with the drink ever since.

Putting the “royal” into Kir is where the bubbly comes in. Kir Royal is typically made with champagne, but cava—a dry bubbly made in Spain–is just as delicious and more wallet-friendly.

Recipes vary, with the proportion of crème de cassis ranging from 1/10 to 1/3 of the cocktail. The more crème de cassis you add, the sweeter your drink.  Some recipes (or bartenders) will use blackberry liqueur or peach. You could tweak this to include just about any sweet fruity liqueur that floats your boat.

Drinking Kir feels elegant, sophisticated and…well, celebratory. And that, dear readers, is a very good feeling.

Cava Kir

You’ll need:

• Champagne flutes or red wine glasses (my preference because they let more air in)
• Cava, champagne or a dry prosecco (I used Dibon Brut Reserve Cava…delicious)
• Crème de cassis liqueur

How to:

Fill your glass 2/3 to the top with chilled cava. Measure a shot of crème de cassis liqueur. Pour slowly until your drink is a deep rose color (or a softer blush, if you prefer a tad less sweetness).

Raise your glass, offer a toast and quaff your Kir.

Want to add a rosy glow to your life? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!