Crème de cassis and Champagne — the French aperitif that manages to be both simple and sophisticated.
The Kir was invented by Félix Kir, the mayor of Dijon, Burgundy, who served the local combination of Aligoté white wine and crème de cassis at official receptions after World War II. Canon Kir promoted the drink as a way to support local Burgundian producers. When the wine was upgraded to Champagne, it became the Kir Royale.
Crème de cassis is made from blackcurrants — Burgundy's other great agricultural product after wine grapes. The combination of Champagne's acidity with cassis's sweet-tart blackcurrant depth is one of the most effective flavour pairings in the aperitif world. Use proper crème de cassis (Cassis de Dijon if you can find it) — the quality matters enormously.
Use a dry white Burgundy wine (Bourgogne Aligoté) instead of Champagne. The simpler, less expensive original. Still delicious.
Replace cassis with crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) for a deeper, fruitier version. Sometimes called a Kir Mûre.
Replace cassis with crème de framboise (raspberry liqueur). Lighter in colour, slightly sweeter.