Garnishes

Blackcurrant

A blackcurrant is the small, dark and sharply sour berry of the Ribes nigrum bush, the fruit crème de cassis is made from. On a drink it is a garnish that points at the cassis in the glass: a single berry in a Kir Royale, or a sprig on a Russian Spring Punch. Fresh berries keep only a few days in the fridge, dry and unwashed.

Quick Facts

Legal categoryFood

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

Our keeping timeA few days refrigerated, stored dry.

Storage

Our rule: refrigerate dry and unwashed in a single layer, and use within a few days. Rinse only when garnishing.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Blackcurrant

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

BlackcurrantSharpDeep

Tasting Notes

Intensely tart and dark, with the musky depth of the fruit behind cassis. Eaten, it bites; as a garnish it signals the flavour already in the glass.

The berry behind crème de cassis

Blackcurrants grow in short clusters on a bush, ripen in high summer and taste far sharper than they look. Steeped in spirit and sweetened, they become crème de cassis, which must hold at least 400g of sugar a litre. The berry on its own has a fraction of that sweetness.

The fresh berry, the liqueur and the blackberry do different jobs

Blackcurrant against crème de cassis and blackberry (sugar and strength from Regulation (EC) 110/2008; keeping times are ours)

What it is

Blackcurrant: Fresh berry of Ribes nigrum
Crème de cassis: Blackcurrant liqueur
Blackberry: Fresh bramble fruit

Taste

Blackcurrant: Very sharp, musky
Crème de cassis: Sweet, deep blackcurrant
Blackberry: Sweeter and milder

Sugar

Blackcurrant: Fruit sugar only
Crème de cassis: At least 400g per litre under Regulation (EC) 110/2008
Blackberry: Fruit sugar only

Alcohol

Blackcurrant: None
Crème de cassis: At least 15% ABV under the same regulation
Blackberry: None

Keeps

Blackcurrant: A few days chilled
Crème de cassis: A year or more once opened
Blackberry: Two to three days chilled

Role in a drink

Blackcurrant: Garnish
Crème de cassis: The flavour in the glass
Blackberry: Garnish or muddled fruit

	Blackcurrant	Crème de cassis	Blackberry
What it is	Fresh berry of Ribes nigrum	Blackcurrant liqueur	Fresh bramble fruit
Taste	Very sharp, musky	Sweet, deep blackcurrant	Sweeter and milder
Sugar	Fruit sugar only	At least 400g per litre under Regulation (EC) 110/2008	Fruit sugar only
Alcohol	None	At least 15% ABV under the same regulation	None
Keeps	A few days chilled	A year or more once opened	Two to three days chilled
Role in a drink	Garnish	The flavour in the glass	Garnish or muddled fruit

A garnish that names the drink

Most garnishes decorate or contrast. A blackcurrant tells the drinker what the colour in the glass is made from. Our Kir Royale calls it optional, one berry if you have it, dropped in so it sits under the bubbles. The Russian Spring Punch takes a short sprig beside its lemon wheel, draped over the rim of the collins glass.

American recipes reach for other berries

In 1911 the United States government banned growing black and red currants, which were thought to host white pine blister rust, a fungus that threatened the timber industry. In 1966 the federal government left the ban to the states; New York lifted its own in 2003, and Ohio rescinded its blister-rust rule in 2021. That helps explain why blackcurrant reads as a British and European flavour, and why American recipes often reach for raspberry or blackberry instead.

Choose firm berries and keep them dry

Pick firm, glossy, deep purple fruit; a soft berry splits and clouds the wine. We keep them unwashed in a single layer in the fridge and use them within a few days, rinsing and patting dry just before garnishing. Out of season, leave the garnish off; both recipes allow it.

Using it

Using Blackcurrant

Usage

One berry dropped into a Kir Royale, or a short sprig on the rim of a Russian Spring Punch beside the lemon wheel. Both recipes treat it as optional: the crème de cassis carries the flavour, and the berry shows what it is made from.

Top Tips

Leave a few berries on the stem: a short sprig drapes over a rim where a loose berry only sits.
Choose firm, glossy, deep purple fruit; a soft berry splits and clouds the wine.
Rinse just before use and pat dry, so the berries sit cleanly on the glass.

Possible Substitutions

Crème de Cassis: the concentrated blackcurrant note
Blackberries: darker and rounder, where a sweeter berry suits
Raspberries: brighter and redder

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is a blackcurrant?

The fruit of Ribes nigrum, a bush grown widely in Britain and northern Europe. The berries are small, nearly black and much sharper than they look, with a musky depth. They are more often pressed, cooked or steeped than eaten raw, which is how they reach cordials, jams and crème de cassis.

What drinks use a blackcurrant garnish?

Among our recipes, the Kir Royale and the Russian Spring Punch, both built on crème de cassis. The Kir Royale takes a single berry if you have one; the Russian Spring Punch a sprig beside its lemon wheel. In both the garnish names the liqueur rather than decorating the glass.

Do you eat the blackcurrant from a Kir Royale?

You can, since it is fresh fruit, though most people leave it. Raw blackcurrant is far sharper than the sweetened cassis in the glass, so it tastes less like the drink than the garnish suggests. A berry that has sat in the wine picks up a little sweetness.

One blackcurrant or a sprig?

It depends on the glass. A short sprig on the stem drapes over the rim of a collins glass and reads clearly as blackcurrant from across the room. In a flute there is no room on the rim, so a single berry dropped in sits under the bubbles instead.

Is crème de cassis made from blackcurrants?

Yes. Crème de cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur, and under the retained Regulation (EC) 110/2008 it must hold at least 400g of sugar per litre, four times the 100g minimum for an ordinary liqueur. That sugar is why the liqueur tastes so much softer than the berry it comes from.

Why are blackcurrants rare in the United States?

Because of a federal ban. The Cornell Chronicle reports that in 1911 the US government banned growing black and red currants, thought to host white pine blister rust, a fungus that threatened the timber industry; it left the ban to the states in 1966, and New York lifted its own in 2003.

Can I use a blackberry or raspberry instead?

Yes, as a garnish. A blackberry is darker, rounder and sweeter; a raspberry brighter and redder. Neither names the cassis the way a blackcurrant does, but both recipes treat the berry as optional, so leaving it off is just as correct.

How long do fresh blackcurrants keep?

A few days in the fridge, stored dry and unwashed in a single layer. Damp berries go mouldy quickly and squashed ones leak, so rinse only the ones you are about to use and pat them dry. Out of season, leave the garnish off.

Sources.

Checked between 18 October and 20 October 2026.

legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)” (category 32 liqueur: 15% and 100 g/L; category 34 crème de cassis: 400 g/L).
Cornell Chronicle (Cornell University, 26 July 2006), “Welcome back black currants: Forbidden fruit making a comeback in New York” (secondary source: the federal ban of 1911 on black and red currants, thought a host of white pine blister rust; left to the states in 1966; New York lifted its ban in 2003).
Ohio State University Extension, “Growing gooseberries and currants in Ohio” (university extension fact sheet: the federal ban on Ribes lifted in 1966; Ohio rescinded its blister-rust rule on 28 October 2021).

Make something

Made with Blackcurrant

Featured In These Cocktails

Russian Spring Punch Kir Royale

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 20 October 2026

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