Crème de cassis

Crème de cassis (French pronunciation: [kʁɛm də kasis]) (also known as Cassis liqueur) is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants.[1]

"Cassis de Dijon" redirects here. Not to be confused with Cassis de Dijon (case law).

Crème de cassis
Crème de cassis bottled at 15% ABV.
TypeLiqueur
Country of origin France (Burgundy)
Introduced1841
Alcohol by volume 25%
ColourDark red
FlavourSweet
IngredientsBlackcurrant

Several cocktails are made with crème de cassis, including the 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.

The quality of crème de cassis depends upon the variety of fruit used, the content of the berries, and the production process.

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, Alberta, Quebec, Vermont and Tasmania.[5]

In 1979, Germany attempted to restrict the import based on the alcohol content being too low. The Europe Court of Justice found this to be a breach of trade, in Rewe-Zentral AG v Bundesmonopolverwaltung für Branntwein.[6]

In 2015, the new protected geographical indication (PGI) "Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne" was 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. If the berries come specifically from Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, the label may say "Crème de Cassis de Dijon" instead.

Sales

Nearly 16 million litres (4.2 million US gallons) of crème de cassis are produced annually in France.[7] It is consumed mostly in France but is also exported.

It is a favourite drink of the fictional detective Hercule Poirot.[8][9][10]

References
  1. Duplais, Pierre; Duplais, Pierre, Jr. (1871). A Treatise on the Manufacture and Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors. Philadelphia: H. C. Baird. p. 518.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Marianski, Stanley; Marianski, Adam (September 2012). Home Production of Vodkas, Infusions & Liqueurs. Bookmagic LLC. p. 265. ISBN 978-0-9836973-4-3.
  3. "Crème de Cassis d'Anjou at giffard.com". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  4. O'Sullivan, Eve (21 December 2013). "Meet the cassis producer: 'We used to have 1,000 pickers at a time'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. "Wines & Ports, Hartzview Vineyard, Tasmania". Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  6. ECJ 22 May 1978, nr. C-120/78, Cassis de Dijon, paragraph 8, subparagraph 2.
  7. "Les Crèmes de Cassis". www.marque-alcool.com. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. Agatha Christie, Dead Man's Mirror, 1986, page 184.
  9. Agatha Christie, The Clocks, 1963, page 145.
  10. Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot's Casebook, 1984, page 320.
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