This export cassis recipe blends fragrant herbs with the sweetness of berries for something light yet surprisingly deep — a vermouth-based cocktail with real character underneath its easy-drinking charm.
Recipe & How to Make It
Ingredients
Recipe no.031
- Dry Vermouth — 1 1/2 oz (45ml)
- Cassis Liqueur — 2/3 oz (20ml)
- Soda Water — to top
- Note: “To top” means filling the glass about 80–90% full.
Method
Pour the dry vermouth and cassis liqueur into the glass and stir, then add ice.
Pour the soda in gently to avoid losing the fizz, then give it a soft, slow stir.
If you’re mixing in something carbonated, a gentle one-to-two rotation stir, lifting the ice slightly as you go, blends everything together without flattening the bubbles.
- Technique ｜ Stir
- Glass ｜ Collins Glass / Tumbler
- ABV ｜ Approximately 5–6%
- Best Enjoyed ｜All-Day Cocktail / Pre-Dinner Cocktail
- Style ｜ Highball
Export Cassis in Detail (with Video)
Origin
“Export” in Export Cassis means exactly what it sounds like — to ship something abroad. Here’s the genuinely odd part: nobody can say for certain why a cocktail carries a name tied to trade and shipping. Two competing stories exist, and neither has ever been confirmed.
One theory points to French pedigree: Export Cassis is built on crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur from France, and the name may simply have advertised that French origin — essentially “the export” itself. The other traces it to a 1979 cocktail competition specifically seeking drinks suited for export overseas, which this one supposedly won.
I’d argue it doesn’t actually matter which story is true, because the name works either way: a cocktail built on French cassis liqueur, crafted with an eye toward the wider world. That double meaning is exactly why the name has stuck around this long without anyone bothering to settle the argument.
Character & Tasting Notes
Export Cassis is a light, easy-drinking cocktail that layers fruity cassis liqueur over herb-forward dry vermouth, finished with soda.
What makes it work is balance — vermouth’s complex herbal character meets cassis’s rich, sweet aroma in near-perfect harmony. The first thing you notice is cassis’s bright, fruity scent, followed by gentle bitterness and spice from the vermouth, with soda’s bubbles keeping the whole thing crisp and clean.
It has that easy, drink-it-all-day lightness, but with a surprising sense of depth underneath — I’d call it one of the more underrated aperitifs out there precisely because it looks simpler than it tastes. Build it in a glass packed with plenty of ice for best results; the extra dilution actually helps the herbal and fruity notes stay distinct rather than blur together. It’s especially refreshing on a hot day, and makes a lovely opener before a meal.
Points, Twists & Food Pairings
- Best Pairings — Pair it with soft cheeses or berry tarts to echo its fruity, herbal balance.
- Mixing Tip — Stir the vermouth and cassis together first, then add ice to blend the flavors evenly.
- Easy Twist — Add a few fresh blackberries or a lemon twist for extra aroma and a brighter finish.
- Drinking Note — Serve in a glass packed with ice; it’s best ice-cold and loses its crispness as it warms.
Recipe Video
- Recipe Video ｜ @bar.channel2841 Channel Home
