Crème de cassis
Template:Short description Template:Redirect-distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox beverage
Crème de cassis (Template:IPA) (also known as cassis liqueur) is a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Several cocktails are made with crème de cassis, notably the popular wine cocktail kir<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and its sparkling variant, the kir royal.<ref name="punch">Template:Cite web</ref> Other cocktails that use it include the original tequila sunrise<ref name="punch" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the El Diabolo,<ref name="punch" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a tequila buck.
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.Template:Clarify
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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> England,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Luxembourg, Alberta, Quebec, Vermont and Tasmania.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>ECJ 22 May 1978, nr. C-120/78, Cassis de Dijon, paragraph 8, subparagraph 2.</ref>
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.Template:Fact
Sales
Nearly Template:Convert of crème de cassis are produced annually in France.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is consumed mostly in France but is also exported.