Made of white wine and blackcurrant liqueur, kir is an apéritif with a reputation that has extended far beyond the borders of France. But what few people know is that the drink is named after a civil servant and man of the cloth. Félix Kir, a Catholic priest, was an unusual and stubborn politician. He served as deputy mayor of Dijon for 22 years, and then dean of the National Assembly until his death in 1968. The defiant man was never one to shy away from a drink, and he decamped to the Assembly with a tote bag of white wine and crème de cassis. He was also the driving force behind an artificial lake on the outskirts of Dijon. Inaugurated in 1964, Kir Lake suffered terrible flooding the following year. Kir was there in his car and narrowly escaped drowning, but his Citroën DS was swept away. Proof, if it were needed, that you should never mix Kir with water! A marker on the edge of the lake pays homage to this colourful character.
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