The market · Liqueurs and bitters · France and the north-west

Crème de cassis

Thick, sweet blackcurrant liqueur from Burgundy — blackcurrants steeped in alcohol and heavily sweetened. What turns white wine into a kir.

blackcurrant · jammy · tart

Goes with

white winesparkling winedry vermouthlondon dry gin

Knowing it

Where to buy
Look for Cassis de Dijon or de Bourgogne and a high fruit content. Once opened, keep it in the fridge — it oxidises and browns.
Worth knowing
Kir: a tablespoon in a glass of dry white wine; with sparkling wine, a kir royale. A barspoon in a gin sour adds colour and depth.

Kitchens that keep it in

Burgundy — east-central France, from Chablis down to the MâconnaisBurgundianRed wine in the pot as much as the glass, with Charolais beef, bacon, mushrooms, snails, mustard and the cheeses and hams of the hills.7 classics

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