Crème de Cassis Liqueur

The first time I encountered crème de cassis was in a tiny bistro in Dijon, where the waiter served me a Kir with this impossibly deep purple liquid that stained the glass like summer itself. I spent the rest of that trip hunting for bottles to bring home, until a French chef finally laughed and told me I was being ridiculous, that I could make it myself with blackcurrants and vodka. He was right, of course, and now my pantry always holds a bottle of this ruby treasure.

Last summer, my neighbor brought over pounds of blackcurrants from her garden, most of which were destined for jam but which I immediately commandeered for liqueur making. We sat at her kitchen table crushing berries and talking about preserving the season in bottles, which felt infinitely more romantic than making freezer jam. Now every time I uncork a bottle, I am back in that kitchen with purple stained fingers and the promise of winter cocktails.

Ingredients

• Blackcurrants: Fresh ones give the brightest flavor, but frozen work perfectly fine if you are making this outside their brief season
• Granulated sugar: This amount creates a balanced sweetness that lets the tart berry shine through
• Vodka: Choose something neutral and decent quality since the alcohol carries all the flavor
• Vanilla bean: Completely optional but adds this gorgeous background warmth that people can never quite identify

Instructions

Crush the berries:

Pile the blackcurrants into your sterilized jar with the sugar and mash them until they release their juices, turning everything into a fragrant purple slush.

Add the spirits:

Pour in the vodka and tuck in the vanilla bean if you are using one, then give everything a thorough stir.

The waiting game:

Seal the jar tight and hide it away somewhere cool and dark, giving it a shake or stir daily for a full week.

Strain and bottle:

After seven days, pour everything through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, really pressing down on the solids to extract every last drop of liquid.

Double filtering:

For crystal clear liqueur, filter it again through cheesecloth before funneling into sterilized bottles.

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My friend Sophie kept meaning to make this for years but always found an excuse, until I showed up at her door with a basket of blackcurrants and we made it together on her rainy Sunday afternoon. That bottle became her signature holiday gift, and now she texts me every summer when she starts a new batch, which I think is exactly the kind of cooking legacy we should all hope for.

Choosing Your Alcohol

I have experimented with everything from premium potato vodka to the basic stuff, and honestly the middle ground works perfectly fine since you are essentially using it as a flavor extractor. Brandy makes for a richer, more complex version that feels especially sophisticated in Kir Royales, while a neutral vodka really lets the blackcurrants take center stage. The one thing I have learned is to avoid anything with too much personality, like gin or flavored spirits, which will compete with the delicate berry notes.

The Perfect Kir

A classic Kir uses white wine, typically something acidic and like Aligoté, though any dry white wine works beautifully. Start with one part crème de cassis to four or five parts wine, then adjust to your taste. The Kir Royale swaps wine for Champagne, creating something that feels infinitely more festive while still being essentially the same drink. My favorite discovery has been using it in spritzes with soda water and a squeeze of lime, which makes this liqueur stretch much further than it would in pure cocktails.

Storage and Aging

This liqueur is technically ready immediately, but giving it a month to mellow makes a remarkable difference in how integrated the flavors become. Store it somewhere dark and relatively cool, like a cupboard away from the stove, and it will happily keep for a year, though it has never lasted that long in my house. The color will deepen over time, turning from bright purple to something almost black and jewel like, which looks spectacular in crystal glasses.

• Label your bottles with the date so you can track how the flavor develops
• If you plan to gift this, make it at least a month in advance
• The sediment at the bottom is completely normal, just pour carefully or strain again

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There is something deeply satisfying about making your own liqueur, like you are preserving a tiny piece of summer that you can uncork in the dead of winter.

Recipe FAQ

→ What type of alcohol works best for Crème de Cassis?

Neutral vodka with 40% ABV or higher works ideally as it allows the blackcurrant flavors to shine through. Alternatively, brandy creates a richer, more complex finish with warm vanilla undertones.

→ How long does homemade Crème de Cassis last?

Properly stored in sterilized bottles and kept in a cool, dark place, your homemade liqueur maintains quality for up to one year. The flavors continue developing and mellowing over time.

→ Can I use frozen blackcurrants instead of fresh?

Frozen blackcurrants work perfectly well and often release juices more readily during maceration. Thaw completely before use and adjust sugar slightly if the berries seem particularly tart.

→ Why must I shake the jar daily during maceration?

Daily agitation redistributes the sugar, prevents settling, and ensures even flavor extraction throughout the infusion. This simple step guarantees a smoother, more balanced final liqueur.

→ What's the difference between Crème de Cassis and regular blackcurrant liqueur?

Authentic Crème de Cassis specifically uses blackcurrants from Dijon, France, though any quality blackcurrants produce excellent results. The term 'crème' refers to the sugar content, not dairy.

→ How can I make my liqueur clearer?

Double filtration through cheesecloth or coffee filters removes fine sediment. For crystal-clear results, let the strained liqueur settle for 24 hours before carefully bottling the clarified top layer.