Crème de cassis

"Cassis de Dijon" redirects here. For the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, see Rewe-Zentral AG v Bundesmonopolverwaltung für Branntwein.
Crème de cassis bottled at 15% ABV.

Crème de cassis (pronounced: [kʁɛm də kasis]) is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants.[1]

Several cocktails are made with crème de cassis, including the very popular wine cocktail, kir.[2]

It may also be served as an after-dinner liqueur or as a frappé.

Ingredients

It is made from blackcurrants that are crushed and soaked in alcohol, with sugar subsequently added.

Origin and production

The modern version of the beverage first appeared in 1841, when it displaced "ratafia de cassis," which had been produced in prior centuries.

While crème de cassis is a specialty of Burgundy, it is also made in Anjou,[3] England,[4] Luxembourg, Quebec and Tasmania.[5]

The quality of crème de cassis depends upon the variety of fruit used, the content of the berries, and the production process. If it is labelled "Crème de Cassis de Dijon," one is guaranteed berries from the commune of Dijon.

In 2015, the new protected geographical indication (PGI) “Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne” has been approved. Promoted by a syndicate of fruit producers and liqueurs companies from Burgundy. This "Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne" guarantees the burgundian origin and the minimum quantity of berries used in its production, essentially the variety Noir de Bourgogne.

Sales

Nearly 16 million litres of crème de cassis are produced annually in France.[6] It is consumed mostly in France but is also exported.

In popular culture

It is a favourite drink of the fictional detective Hercule Poirot.[7][8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Duplais, Pierre & Duplais, Pierre, Jr (trans. by M. McKennie) (1871) A Treatise on the Manufacture and Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird. page 518.
  2. ↑ Marianski, Stanley & Marianski, Adam (2012) Home Production of Vodkas, Infusions & Liqueurs Seminole, FL : Bookmagic LLC. page 265. ISBN 9780983697343.
  3. ↑ Crème de Cassis d'Anjou at giffard.com
  4. ↑ British Cassis
  5. ↑ Wines & Ports, Hartzview Vineyard, Tasmania
  6. ↑ La crème de cassis marque-alcool.com
  7. ↑ Agatha Christie, Dead Man's Mirror, 1986, page 184.
  8. ↑ Agatha Christie, The Clocks, 1963, page 145.
  9. ↑ Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot's Casebook, 1984, page 320.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.