Want to make some delicious creme de cassis cocktails but have no cocktail mixer at home? Worry no more because I’ll be presenting you with three cocktail mixes which would not require a cocktail mixer. All you need are the ingredients and some basic equipment that you can easily find in your kitchen.
I became fond of creme de cassis when I had it in one of the parties I attended last month. Since then, I have searched for more cocktail recipes that include this wonderful liquor. The only problem is, I don’t have a cocktail mixer. After searching far and wide, I have finally found the recipes which meet my needs. If you’re curious to know, find out below.
What You’ll Need
Creme de cassis is a sweet liquor produced from blackcurrants. The black currant has the same sharp flavor as the cranberry. It is a great pair to wine, vodka, and tequila because its sweetness subdues their bitterness quite well.
What I use for Diablo and Vodka Republic cocktails is the Leejay Creme de Cassis because of its dark rose and citrus flavors. For Kir cocktails, I usually use the Edmond Briotett Creme de Cassis because of its less acid content.
You can buy creme de cassis at your local liquor store or supermarkets in the liquor section. Since freshness is essential, make sure that you buy it from a store that has a high turnover.
Ice is essential because it chills your cocktail drink for a better taste experience. To make sure that you get free from any contamination, use filtered water. For recipe 1, you need it crushed so it mixes well with the vodka and other ingredients. For recipe 2, use several ice cubes.
Additional Ingredients
For Recipe 1- Vodka Republic
Less expensive brands like Absolut and Smirnoff are the best vodka brands for cocktail drinks. What I use is the Absolut Kurant which has a slight hint of tart flavor and a black currant distinct quality. Unlike all other flavored vodkas, this doesn’t have any artificial sugar, so you get nothing but its naturally sweet goodness.
You need a freshly squeezed lemon juice to add a refreshing flavor to your cocktail. It serves as the sour mix that will balance the sweet and bitter tastes of your vodka and creme de cassis. To get more of its juice out, let it rest at room temperature and roll it on a hard surface.
For additional sweetness and flavor, you need a simple syrup to add to your cocktail mix. What I use is the Sonoma Classic Simple Syrup. I love this syrup because it uses pure cane sugar as a sweetener. The slight hint of vanilla enhances the flavor of the cocktail.
Perhaps, the most used soft drink in cocktails is the lemon-lime soda. This gives a nice citrus taste and a bubbly burst of flavor in your cocktail mix. You can pick any of these famous brands, such as 7-Up, Sprite, and Blue Sky.
For garnishing, you need one whole blackberry. This is optional because you can miss this out if you want to drink the cocktail without it. For those who want to give a nice presentation to their cocktails, this garnish might help. Personally, I omit this ingredient if I’m making one just for myself, but if I’m presenting it to guests, I use this wonderful fruit as garnish.
For Recipe 2- Diablo
The best tequila for this cocktail is the reposado variety which is aged from 2-12 months. This golden-colored tequila gives a smooth, clean taste with a slight flavor of oak. What I use is the Casamigos Reposado Tequila which has a slight caramel and cocoa flavors.
The lime juice will enhance the tart flavor of blue currant. This gives a sour punch and a deep bright taste for your cocktail. For best results, use freshly squeezed lime juice.
Ginger ale is a carbonated soda with a ginger flavor. The black currant in creme de cassis enhances the sweet flavor of ginger ale. What I use is the Fever-Tree Ginger Ale which has a citrus taste and arom
For garnish, you can add a wedge lime in your cocktail. This is optional so you can omit this ingredient if you want. Personally, I use a wedge lime if I have a leftover lime from the lime juice.
For Recipe 3- Kir
To create the classic kir cocktail, you need some dry white wine. I prefer to use the Aligote because of its almost lemony character. Aside from Aligote, you can also try the Bourgogne blanc or Pouilly-fuisse. If you like to make a kir royale cocktail, you can substitute the white wine with champagne.
Equipment
For the final serving of your creme de cassis cocktails, you need different types of cocktail glass. For instance, recipes 1 and 2 needs a highball glass to make room for the ice. The classic kir cocktail needs a white wine glass while a kir royale suits for a champagne flute.
To get the right measurements of ingredients, you need a jigger, preferably with a double cocktail jigger with one-ounce and two-ounce measurements. For easy maintenance, choose a stainless steel construction. The stainless steel material ensures that acid from ingredients will not rust the item.
To extract the juice from lemon and lime, you need a good manual citrus juicer. As much as possible look for an easy-to-operate lever so you won’t have a hard time squeezing the fruit in the equipment. Look for a design that has holes at the bottom to catch the seeds properly.
You need a cocktail spoon to stir the cocktail drink, specifically in recipe 2. As much as possible, look for a long spoon so it can reach the bottom of any tall glass that you’ll use.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe 1- Vodka Republic
This cocktail mix offers a combination of sweet, citrus, and tart flavors. To get a background on how this is done, watch this video below!
Fill your highball glass with crushed ice. With your jigger, measure and add 3 ounces of vodka and 1 ounce of creme de cassis in the glass. Next, get your manual juicer and extract half a lemon to create about 2 ounces of lemon juice.
After that, add 2 ounces simple syrup and pour some lemon-lime soda until it fills the glass. If you like, you can garnish it with one blackberry to serve.
Recipe 2- Diablo
This cocktail drink gives a strong punch with the tequila. To get a good reference of this recipe, you can watch this video below.
For this cocktail mix, you need reposado tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, ginger ale, ice cubes, and wedge lime. Get ready with a highball glass, manual juicer, cocktail jigger, and cocktail spoon.
Fill your highball glass with a handful of ice cubes. Next, add 3/4 ounce of creme de cassis. With your manual juicer, squeeze some lime and make about 3/4 ounce of lime juice.
Pour the lime juice into the glass. Next, add 2 ounces of reposado tequila and stir using a cocktail spoon. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a wedge lime.
Recipe 3- Kir
This classic kir recipe uses dry white wine, but you can transform it into kir royale if you use champagne instead. See how a classic kir is done in this.
In this recipe, all you need are dry white wine and creme de cassis. If you like to turn it into a kir royale, substitute white wine with champagne. Make sure that you chill the white wine or champagne before you use it.
In a white wine glass, pour 1/4 ounce of creme de cassis. Next, slowly pour 2 1/4 ounce of chilled dry white wine. For kir royale, do the same sequence, but use a champagne flute and chilled champagne in replacement of white wine glass and white wine, respectively.
Tips From the Experts
- Substitute ginger ale with ginger beer for a stronger Diablo mix
Fine Cooking suggests substituting the ginger ale with ginger beer if you like a stronger Diablo cocktail mix. For a better Halloween garnish, stand two lime wedges on the ice. To brighten the appearance of this drink, you can try to substitute the creme de cassis with pomegranate liqueur.
- Add less creme de cassis for a perfect kir
To create the perfect kir and kir royale, The Kitchn recommends following the ratio: 1/5 of creme de cassis to 4/5 white wine or champagne. It is best to add the creme de cassis first into the glass to mix it well with the white wine or champagne. You should achieve a pale blush color.
Try One of the Creme de Cassis Cocktails Today!
Did you have fun learning how to create some new cocktail recipes? Thanks to this article, I can create cocktails even without a cocktail mixer. The basic equipment that I need are a double cocktail jigger and cocktail spoon.
Share your cocktail results in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this article with friends who you think might need it.
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