The Blackberry Cassis Champagne Mimosa

The Blackberry Cassis Champagne Mimosa is the sophisticated, wine-like drink in the mimosa family — built on the combination of fresh blackberry juice and Crème de Cassis, the legendary black currant liqueur of Burgundy, it produces a drink of the deepest, most jewel-like purple color and a flavor that references fine red wine, summer berry tarts, and the classic Kir Royale simultaneously. It is the natural evolution of the Kir Royale into the mimosa format.

About Crème de Cassis and the Kir Royale

Crème de Cassis is a black currant (*Ribes nigrum*) liqueur produced primarily in Burgundy, France — particularly the city of Dijon, which has been the center of cassis production since the 19th century. The liqueur is made by macerating black currants in neutral spirit and adding sugar to produce a rich, intensely flavored, dark purple-black liqueur of remarkable depth. The finest producers include Lejay Lagoute (the oldest and most established, founded 1841, creator of the original recipe), Gabriel Boudier, and Briottet.

The Kir — a Burgundian aperitif created or popularized by Canon Félix Kir, the wartime resistance hero and post-war mayor of Dijon — is simply Cassis with white Burgundy (Aligoté). The Kir Royale substitutes Champagne, creating one of the most elegant aperitifs in the French canon. This mimosa takes the Kir Royale one step further, adding fresh blackberry juice for depth of color and flavor.

Blackberry Cassis Blend: - 1½ cups fresh blackberries (about 8 oz) - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon honey

Blend blackberries until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly. The juice should be a deep purple-black. Add lemon juice and honey; stir until dissolved. Refrigerate immediately; use within 24 hours for best color.

Ingredients (serves 6): - ¾ cup blackberry juice (above) - 2 oz Lejay Lagoute Crème de Cassis de Dijon (or Gabriel Boudier) - 1 bottle (25 oz chilled Champagne Brut NV (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, or Nicolas Feuillatte Brut — the classic choice for Kir Royale service) - Fresh blackberries and a lemon twist for garnish

Instructions: Stir blackberry juice and Crème de Cassis together in a small pitcher. The blend will be an extraordinarily deep, near-black purple. Chill thoroughly.

Chill Champagne flutes for 5 minutes. Pour about ¾ oz of the blackberry-cassis blend into each flute — use a small amount; the color is extremely intense. Top slowly with chilled Champagne, pouring very gently down the side. The deep purple will bloom upward through the pale wine in extraordinary violet-to-lavender gradients. Garnish with 3 fresh blackberries on a cocktail pick and a long lemon twist expressed over the glass.

For a Mimosa Bar (serves 12): - 1½ cups blackberry juice - 4 oz Crème de Cassis - 2 bottles Champagne Brut, chilled

Variations: - Use the classic Kir Royale ratio (2 oz Cassis, no blackberry juice) for the traditional preparation — clean, elegantly simple, historically accurate. - Add ½ oz of Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur alongside the Cassis for a layered berry complexity. - Replace Champagne with Crémant de Bourgogne for a regional Burgundian pairing — the local sparkling wine and local cassis is the authentic terroir expression.

Pairing: Cassis's wine-like depth and the blackberry's tannic richness make this the ideal aperitif before a brunch with multiple courses. It pairs particularly well with cheese boards, charcuterie, and any preparation with dark berry or plum flavors.

Reference Links: - Lejay Lagoute Crème de Cassis de Dijon: Lejay Official - Blackberry mint mimosa recipe reference: Bright-Eyed Baker

Pro Tips: Genuine Crème de Cassis de Dijon (with the Dijon designation) is significantly superior to generic "crème de cassis" products — the Dijon AOC designation requires minimum black currant content and production standards that guarantee quality. The ¾ oz per serving specified here is deliberately conservative — the color is so powerful that more creates an almost opaque drink. The effect of a tiny amount of Cassis blooming upward through pale Champagne is the visual payoff.