Drinks
Blackcurrant liqueur mixed with white wine is called Kir or Kir Royale when mixed with champagne. The juice forms the basis for various popular cordials and alcoholic beverages. In the UK, blackcurrant cordial is often mixed with cider (hard cider) to make a drink called "Cider and Black" or if made with the popular British cider Strongbow a "Bow and Black". If made with any common British lager beer, it is known as a "Lager and Black". The addition of blackcurrant to a mix of cider and lager results in "Diesel" or "Snakebite and Black" available at pubs. Adding a small amount of blackcurrant juice to Guinness is preferred by some to heighten the taste of the popular stout. Macerated blackcurrants are also the primary ingredient in the apéritif crème de cassis. In Russia, blackcurrant leaves may be used for flavouring tea or preserves. Sweetened vodka may also be infused with blackcurrant leaves or berries, making a deep yellowish-green beverage with a sharp flavour and astringent taste.
Ribena, a non-carbonated soft drink flavored with blackcurrants, takes its name from Ribes.
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—Abraham Cowley (1618–1667)
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—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)