Coffee with Vieux Marc

Serve when

Pour the marc the instant someone says 'after the coffee, in the small glasses' — the last order given before the candles move to the sitting room.

In the movie

Theatrical

01:31:31 The feast's final course: coffee served in the small glasses, followed by a fine old marc — 'vieux marc, fine champagne' — as the party moves through to the sitting room to close the night.

The dinner's very last instruction is about this course: "after the coffee, in the small glasses," followed by "vieux marc, fine champagne" read haltingly off the label. It's the quietest course of the night by far — no speeches, no recognition scenes, just coffee and a fine old spirit as the guests are walked through to the sitting room. After turtle soup, Champagne, a grand Burgundy, and rum-soaked cake, the marc is the last small proof that Babette left nothing to chance, right down to how the evening ends.

Ingredients

Strong black coffee, freshly brewed
Vieux marc (or a good aged Cognac/Armagnac if marc isn't available)

Method

Brew a strong pot of coffee and keep it hot.
Pour into small cups and serve alongside — not in — small glasses of the marc.
Let the table linger here; this is the last course of the night, meant to be sipped slowly as the candles move to another room.

Substitutions

Vieux marc: a genuine aged French marc can be hard to find outside specialty shops; a good aged Cognac or Armagnac serves the same purpose at the table and is far easier to source.