This one was a happy accident. I was in an old closet at my family home, and happened upon the remnants of my grandparents' liquor cabinet. I thought I'd picked it over before, but this time I noticed one that was new to me--creme de cassis. I took it down from the shelf and considered it. With a lot of trepidation, since my grandparents both died in the early to mid 1990's. Meaning the bottle was at least 25 years old, and possibly 30-35 years old, or more. Anyway, the bottle was unopened, and had its original paper seal still attached to the cap. It looked okay--the liquid inside was consistent and not separated, and the odor wasn't sour and awful. And I tried a little sip and it didn't taste rotten or anything. So I went with it.
So, to get the obvious issue out of the way first, "cassis" is French for blackcurrant. The berry fruit. Over the years, I've had a few candies that were blackcurrant flavored, but I haven't gone into much detail about the fruit itself. Blackcurrants are native to northern parts of Europe and Asia. Like most fruit, they can be enjoyed in many ways. Plain, as jams or preserves, mixed into savory meals, put into desserts like pastries, pies, cakes, or ice creams, and as flavoring for juices, smoothies, and, clearly, alcoholic drinks. Blackcurrants aren't common in the U.S., because it was illegal to grow them from 1911-66, a complete federal ban. This was because they were a host to a nasty fungal parasite which damaged white pine trees, which then threatened the important timber industry. By 1966 it was discovered that it was safe to grow blackcurrants as long as they were kept far away from white pines, so the federal ban was lifted, and most states rescinded any state bans. But probably because their cultural tradition was interrupted, most Americans aren't familiar with them--one source estimated that only .1% of U.S. citizens have had a blackcurrant.
Creme de cassis was invented by August Davis-Lagoute in Dijon, France, which is in the Burgundy region, in 1841. The company he founded, LeJay, is still in business, and still considered to be one of the top makers of this drink. The liquor is made by crushing up the fruit and adding it to grain alcohol, and then later sugar is also added. The alcohol content usually ranges from 15-25%, or 30 to 50 proof. Some people drink this liqueur straight, but others have it as a mixed drink. One of the more popular mixed drinks is named Kir. Felix Kir was a French Resistance fighter during World War II. He developed a cocktail consisting of creme de cassis combined with white wine, to mimic the red wines he enjoyed, and which were scarce during the Nazi occupation. (Creme de cassis is a deep red color, and very fruity.) Creme de cassis mixed with champagne is then a Kir Royale. Other drinks add creme de cassis to red wine, which is a "cardinal," and an "El Diablo" is creme de cassis, tequila, lime juice, and ginger ale. Besides France, other hotbeds of creme de cassis production include England, Canada, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Tasmania.
The brand I drank, Leroux, is still active, but that's about as much as I could learn about it. Other selections of the brand include other flavored liquors, such as blackberry and apricot brandies, peppermint schnapps, sloe gin, anisette, and triple sec. One online source said that Leroux is over 100 years old, but I couldn't get more information. The company allegedly started in Brussels, Belgium, but moved most of its production to the U.S. after Prohibition ended there (in 1933). My bottle reads that it was made in Relay, Maryland, for example. Seagrams bought the brand in 1940, but somewhere along the line it was then acquired by Beam Suntory, a subsidiary of the massive Japanese company Suntory. Reportedly Suntory is the 3rd biggest manufacturer of distilled beverages in the world, trailing only Diageo and Pernod Ricard.
Leroux creme de cassis: Its color was a deep purplish-red, and the odor was very slight, of fruit. It was a fairly thick liquid, almost syrupy. The taste was pretty good--I've had blackcurrant flavored things before, and liked it in general. And this liqueur was more than decent. I just had it plain, since I didn't have, or particularly want to get a bunch of mixers. It also didn't taste very boozy, with its relatively low alcohol content. Overall it was kind of like a fruity, dessert-type wine.
Therefore, I would recommend creme de cassis, especially if you're a fan of sweet liqueurs. Such as Kijafa, (which I talked about on June 5, 2021) only better. However, as I pointed out, my selection was quite old, so I don't know to what degree the taste, odor, and texture was affected. Maybe I'll buy a new bottle and compare. I also learned that I got off lucky that my actual bottle worked out as well as it did. Basically, hard liquors with high alcohol contents (over 35-40%) and not much sugar, such as whiskey, gin, vodka, tequila, brandy, and rum can be kept for years or decades and still be decent and safe to drink, even when the bottle's been opened. But those with a lot of sugar, and lower alcohol contents, like many liqueurs, and creme de cassis, are much more delicate, and prone to spoilage. So, as a safety warning, don't keep sugar-rich, low alcohol content liqueurs for more than a year or two, and less than that once you've opened the bottle. And if you observe crystals in the bottom of the bottle, or liquid separation, or a foul odor, obviously discard these immediately without drinking any. Finally, the the label on my creme de cassis bottle proudly noted that this brand won the gold medal at the 1937 Paris International Exposition. I think it's a bit sad when products mention awards that old, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon still coasting on its award from the late 19th century. Maybe update that a little, assuming your product wins a more modern medal or award occasionally!
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