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Bourgogne Aligoté and the Kir Cocktail

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Rumpelstil

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The story of Kir and Aligoté – Burgundy’s forgotten grape.
Click to expand...

www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Bourgogne Aligoté and the Kir Cocktail

The story of Kir and Aligoté – Burgundy’s forgotten grape. Whe...
www.frenchcyclingholidays.com www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Do you know this story? :)
Tomorrow we can talk about it.

And tomorrow I can tell you why I thought of Kir all of a sudden.
That is a little story in itself!
 
Here is the beginning:

When you think of white Burgundy, you think of Chardonnay. Indeed, some wine buffs would tell you that all white Burgundy is made with the Chardonnay grape – even the village of Chardonnay sits in the hills overlooking Macon and Tournus in the heart of the Côte Maconnais.

Aligoté and Chardonnay were both indigenous grape varieties of Burgundy. However Chardonnay was the easier grape to grow, and deemed more appealing to popular taste. In the same way that the Pinot Noir grape, (which had the support of the Dukes of Burgundy) replaced Gamay, to become the predominant red grape variety in the region, so the Aligoté vines were moved out onto low lying areas where the grape was never going to give of its best. When poor location is combined with 'traditional’ farming techniques, (no ploughing, artificial fertilisers, pesticides etc), the results can be poor indeed.
Click to expand...

www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Bourgogne Aligoté and the Kir Cocktail

The story of Kir and Aligoté – Burgundy’s forgotten grape. Whe...
www.frenchcyclingholidays.com www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

And I can tell you that I have known the Aligoté for a long time! :)
 
And here ist is where the wise Monsieur Félix Kir comes in: :)

However, back in the day when the Aligoté grape was very much the poor relation, the mayor of Dijon, Felix Kir, found a way of cutting the cost of civic receptions and at the same time promoting the local product! Taking the very acidic but economical Aligoté wine, and adding a measure of the local Crème de Cassis blackcurrant liqueur, the resulting aperitif was an instant hit. It became so popular it was named in his honour, and although different liqueurs have been used for different flavours, the true Kir is Bourgogne Aligoté and Crème de Cassis de Dijon!
Click to expand...

www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Bourgogne Aligoté and the Kir Cocktail

The story of Kir and Aligoté – Burgundy’s forgotten grape. Whe...
www.frenchcyclingholidays.com www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Three cheers for Félix Kir! (y) (y) (y) 🌹
 
What made me think of this cocktail all of a sudden?
It all started in a peaceful churchyard in Alsace - on All Saints' Day.
 
I noticed that several gravesones there had this inscription: "Chanoine de la Cathedrale de Strasbourg."
I was not quite sure what a chanoine is.
But I suspected some connection with the English word "canon" - in a religious sense.

And bingo - so it was:

a Christian priest who has special duties in a cathedral
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canon | meaning of canon in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

canon meaning, definition, what is canon: a Christian priest who has special dutie...: Learn more.
www.ldoceonline.com www.ldoceonline.com

And then I looked up "chanoine".
 
And I finally found this person:

Canon Felix Kir, Resistant Of The First Hour, Then Mayor Of Dijon, Arriving At The National Assembly On December 8, 1958 (Canon Kir did not invent, as some still believe, the Famous Drink to which He gave His Name. But He had the Good Idea to Offer A White Cassis (Blanc-Casss) As an aperitif to All Visitors He Receive As Mayor Of Dijon, In The Ducal Kitchens (b/w photo)
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Canon Felix Kir, Resistant Of The First Hour, Then Mayor Of Dijon, Arriving At The National Assembly On December 8, 1958 (Canon Kir did not invent, as some still believe, the Famous Drink to which He gave His Name. But He had the Good Idea to Offer A

Download Canon Felix Kir, Resistant Of The First Hour, Then Mayor Of Dijon, Arriving At The National Assembly On December 8, 1958 (Canon Kir did not i
www.bridgemanimages.com www.bridgemanimages.com
 
Rumpel said:
www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Bourgogne Aligoté and the Kir Cocktail

The story of Kir and Aligoté – Burgundy’s forgotten grape. Whe...
www.frenchcyclingholidays.com www.frenchcyclingholidays.com

Do you know this story? :)
Tomorrow we can talk about it.

And tomorrow I can tell you why I thought of Kir all of a sudden.
That is a little story in itself!
Click to expand...

My wife's favorite cocktail is Kir Royale.
 
Risky Thicket said:
My wife's favorite cocktail is Kir Royale.
Click to expand...
Some years ago I was at a bar when an elderly fellow who looked suspiciously like Dick Cheney came in and ordered a Rob Roy. I was a few seats away, but after a while I couldn't resist asking, "Excuse me, Sir, but are you Dick Cheney?"

We had a laugh, so I moved over to converse, and, though he wasn't Dick Cheney, we had a good conversation I suppose -- he even suggested a book on Magellan which I found in the library and read.

Anyway, a few months go by and I notice the Dick Cheney doppleganger at the bar again, so I sidle-up and order a Rob Roy. He was amazed, "I've never seen anyone order a Rob Roy."

"I hear that a lot," I told him, though I'd never ordered one until then.

"I read that Magellan book you recommended by the way. It was a good read. Thanks."

Then the Rob Roy came and I had Groundhog Day experience.
 
Last edited:
BitterPill said:
Some years ago I was at a bar when an elderly fellow who looked suspiciously like Dick Cheney came in and ordered a Rob Roy. I was a few seats away, but after a while I couldn't resist asking, "Excuse me, Sir, but are you Dick Cheney?"

We had a laugh, so I moved over to converse, and, though he wasn't Dick Cheney, we had a good conversation I suppose -- he even suggested a book on Magellan which I found in the library and read.

Anyway, a few months go by and I notice the Dick Cheney doppleganger at the bar again, so I sidle-up and order a Rob Roy. He was amazed, "I've never seen anyone order a Rob Roy."

"I hear that a lot," I told him, though I'd never ordered one until then.

"I read that Magellan book you recommended by the way. It was a good read. Thanks."

Then the Rob Roy came and I had Groundhog Day experience.
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You’re a brave dude. I wouldn’t want to drink with Dick Cheney unless I was certain he was unarmed. 😉

Rob Roy isn’t a bad drink.

I like a Manhattan or a Boulevardier or a gin martini with an olive.

Unfortunately, many bartenders don’t know how to mix most of the old classic drinks and what you get is a slight resemblance of what you ordered.

Just a few weeks ago we met friends at a bar that had a French 75 listed on their updated drink menu. I’m not a vodka person and I’m not a fan of citrus in anything wet but I’ve had a French 75 a couple of times in the past so I ordered it. Damned if the bartender didn’t nail it. I watched him mix it. He also mixed a fine Manhattan. He was a pro and probably under 30.
 
Risky Thicket said:
You’re a brave dude. I wouldn’t want to drink with Dick Cheney unless I was certain he was unarmed. 😉

Rob Roy isn’t a bad drink.

I like a Manhattan or a Boulevardier or a gin martini with an olive.

Unfortunately, many bartenders don’t know how to mix most of the old classic drinks and what you get is a slight resemblance of what you ordered.

Just a few weeks ago we met friends at a bar that had a French 75 listed on their updated drink menu. I’m not a vodka person and I’m not a fan of citrus in anything wet but I’ve had a French 75 a couple of times in the past so I ordered it. Damned if the bartender didn’t nail it. I watched him mix it. He also mixed a fine Manhattan. He was a pro and probably under 30.
Click to expand...

It was evident that the Dick Cheney double wasn't packing a shotgun, and I suspect the sweet vermouth is what that ruined my Rob Roy experience, but I'm not averse to trying again with a Manhattan. I also like martinis, but they need to be dry, and the French 75 sounds interesting.
 
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