Kir is a French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine.

Kir was a pioneer of the twinning movement in the aftermath of the Second World War, and popularized the drink by offering it at receptions to visiting delegations.

According to Rolland (2004),[2] the reinvention of blanc-cassis (post-1945) was necessitated by the German Army's confiscation of all the local red Burgundy during the war.

Following the commercial development of crème de cassis in 1841, the cocktail became popular in regional cafés, but has since become inextricably linked internationally with the name of Mayor Kir.

Meanwhile, 19th-century recipes for blanc-cassis recommended 1/3 crème de cassis, which modern tastes would find cloyingly sweet.