A Creme de Cassis Cocktail is a classy French-inspired gin drink perfect for those who love a fruity summer sip.
The well balanced cocktail features French blackcurrant liqueur, dry vermouth, gin, fresh lime juice, sparkling water and is garnished with plump blackberries on a skewer.
Served in an elegant coupe glass, the refreshing cocktail combines the bold flavours of herbaceous gin, tartness of freshly squeezed limes, grape-forward vermouth and tangy blackcurrant.
It’s the perfect cocktail to sip on a hot summer day or at a fancy French dinner party or cocktail hour.
S
Save this story to Pinterest!
What Is A Cassis Cocktail?
Crème de cassis is a dark, sweet French liqueur made with blackcurrants (which is sometimes written as black currants).
Cassis was invented in 1841 in the city of Dijon in the region of Burgundy and is still produced there today. It’s most famous for its use in the popular Kir Royale.
The blackcurrant aka cassis, is the berry of a shrub that’s native to central and Northern Europe. It has a sweet tart flavour and is grown in countries like France, Norway, Poland, Latvia, and New Zealand.
French creme de cassis bottles label the region where the blackcurrants are grown. Bottles labeled Crème de Cassis de Dijon contain blackcurrants grown in the city of Dijon, whereas Cassis de Bourgogne have blackcurrants grown anywhere in the larger Burgundy region.
Our easy Creme de Cassis Cocktail recipe celebrates the unique flavour of French Blackcurrant liqueur, shaken together with dry vermouth, gin, lime juice and sparkling water to produce a pretty pink drink.
Best Creme de Cassis Brands
Crème de cassis is sweet, with a rich, dark berry flavour, and fragrant, fruity aroma. It’s popularly mixed with white wine in a Kir cocktail, or your can drink it straight or on the rocks as an aperitif or digestif.
Creme de Cassis is typically bottled at 15% ABV (alcohol by volume), so it has a relatively low alcohol content, similar to other sweet liqueurs like Disaronno or Limoncello.
If you can’t find blackcurrant liqueur at your local liquor store Chambord, a French black raspberry liqueur, is a suitable substitute.
If it’s your first time making a Creme de Cassis cocktail here are our favourite bottles worth adding to your bar cart:
- L’Abbe Francois Cassis
- Giffard and Cie Creme Cassis D’Anjou
- Lejay Creme de Cassis
- Merlet Creme De Cassis
- Gabriel Boudier Creme De Cassis de Dijon
- L’Heritier-Guyot Crème de Cassis Liqueur
Travel to France by Making A Creme de Cassis Cocktail at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia,Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to France is the opportunity to sample unique recipes from each region. The dishes and drinks in Paris and Versailles are unique to what you might find on restaurant in Normandy, Chateauneuf de Pape, Provence, Epernay, Reims, Dijon and Annecy.
For hundreds of years French cuisine has been considered the fanciest of sips and nibbles. If you’re a cocktail fan, there’s no better country in Europe to swig your way through. Head to the heart of blackcurrant country on a road trip of Burgundy to Dijon, or quench your thirst on Creme de Cassis cocktails at fancy luxury hotel bars in Paris or Saint-Tropez down south.
Once back home from a French holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the regional and seasonal flavours of France and can impress friends and family by making this delightful Cassis Cocktail!
Blackcurrant Cocktail Recipe Ingredients
This homemade Blackcurrant Cocktail recipe is made with fresh and premium ingredients:
- Creme de Cassis: a luxurious blackcurrant liqueur that is sweet and floral.
- Dry Vermouth: a French fortified wine flavoured with a variety of herbs and spices.
- Gin: this herbaceous spirit is the cocktail base, helping balance the sweet berry flavours and tangy lime.
- Lime Juice: always use freshly squeezed lime juice. You can taste the difference!
- Sparkling Water: top the cocktail with a splash of soda to add a celebratory fizz to the drink.
- Garnish: a cocktail pick skewered with fresh blackberries.
Cassis Cocktail Recipe Tips
This tart and tangy Cassis Cocktail is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 10 minutes.
Our recipe serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a festive punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.
We’ve used gin in this recipe but you can substitute with your favourite vodka if you prefer.
Add an additional splash of club soda for a fizzy twist to make the drink less boozy and more refreshing.
An hour or two before you’re planning on serving drinks we suggest placing the Creme de Cassis, dry vermouth and gin bottles in the freezer so they are well chilled.
We like to garnish the glass with a cocktail pick skewered with fresh blackberries but you can also muddle the berries into the glass before serving for a more casual affair.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Creme de Cassis Cocktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
You May Also Enjoy These Craft Cocktails…
- Bourbon Kentucky Mule Cocktail
- Vodka Green Tea Cocktail
- Bourbon Blackberry Bramble Cocktail
- Gin Old Fashioned Cocktail
- Marmalade Gin Martini Cocktail
- Apple Cider Bourbon Mule Cocktail
- Green Apple Mojito Cocktail
- Chambord French Martini Cocktail
- Long Beach Iced Tea Cocktail
- Purple Haze Cocktail
- Cranberry Whiskey Sour Cocktail
- Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake Irish Cream Cocktail
- Munich Mule Cocktail
- Orange Dreamsicle Cocktail
How To Make A Blackcurrant Creme de Cassis Cocktail Recipe
Blackcurrant Creme de Cassis Cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Jigger
- Strainer
- Coupe Glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz Blackcurrant Creme de Cassis
- 1 oz Dry Vermouth
- 1 oz Gin
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 2 oz Sparkling Soda Water
- Blackberries garnish
Instructions
- In an ice filled cocktail shaker add creme de cassis, dry vermouth, gin and lime juice. Shake for 30-40 seconds until cold.
- Strain into a coupe glass and top with sparkling soda water.
- Garnish with blackberries.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
