liqueurBergamot liqueur (generic category, various producers)

Crème de Cassis

Crème de cassis was developed in Burgundy, France, around 1840, when distillers in the Dijon region began liquefying the local blackcurrant harvest — abundant in the Côte d'Or — into a rich fruit cordial to extend the commercial value of the crop. Dijon remains the undisputed capital of cassis production, with producers like Lejay-Lagoute and Briottet maintaining operations there for over a century. The liqueur entered global cocktail consciousness when Canon Félix Kir, the postwar mayor of Dijon, popularized mixing it with Bourgogne Aligoté white wine — the drink that now bears his name.

Flavor Profile

Genuine Burgundian crème de cassis is intensely fruity, with fresh blackcurrant at the core surrounded by notes of blackberry, dried plum, and a characteristic tart acidity that prevents it from reading as merely sweet. The best expressions — Briottet and Lejay's premium ranges — show a leafy, almost herbaceous edge from the currant skins that adds complexity to the fruit-forward profile. The finish is long, purple-fruited, and gently tannic, a reflection of the natural tannins in blackcurrant skin.

Key Producers

other

Lejay

Briottet

Chambord

Cassis de Dijon is protected under a French Label Rouge designation and may be produced throughout France under EU spirits regulations as a fruit liqueur with minimum 15% ABV and 250 g/L residual sugar; the 'Crème de Cassis de Dijon' designation is geographically specific and requires Dijon-area production with a minimum 400 g/L blackcurrant content.