Say goodbye to 2021, and Let Them Eat Cake

Let Them Eat Cake, at Blue Owl, is an elevated riff on the French 75, a classic bubbly cocktail.Liza Weisstuch

Every year around this time, something that L. Frank Baum wrote in “The Marvelous Land of Oz” comes to mind: “Everything has to come to an end, sometime.” I’m sure he meant it as consolation, what with Dorothy having to say goodbye to her new friends and all. But in a different context, like showing 2021 to the door, it’s more like a rallying cry, celebratory call of good riddance — one that’s been hard-won and long awaited. One that calls for not just your basic ordinary celebratory drink, but an indulgence. For instance, not just your basic ordinary French 75, but the Let Them Eat Cake, an extravagant spin on the classic bubbly gin cocktail. In an effort to make the gin-based classic more seasonal, Molli Rohland, bar manager at Blue Owl, in Cambridge, swaps out the gin for Cognac and uses a pino noir brute, which amps up the intensity the sparkle provides. That particular wine doesn’t have the bright acidic tartness other bubblies like Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco deliver, but you won’t diminish the drink if you only have one of those on hand.

To enhance the drink’s warming quality, she uses a measure of apricot brandy, a bright — but not too bright — element that complements the Cognac’s richness. And for the name? No, it’s not an indicator of flavor. Molli equates 2021 with the French queen herself.

“Marie Antoinette treated her people the way the past few years have treated us. Hopefully the coming year will bring us something better,” she said. And as we wait and see, we’ll drink Cake.

Let Them Eat Cake

Makes 1 drink

1½ ounces Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (or any VS or VSOP Cognac)

½ ounce Giffard Abricot du Roussillon (or any apricot liqueur)

½ ounce honey syrup (To make syrup: in a small saucepan over low heat, heat equal parts honey and water. Stir until integrated.)

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1½ ounces sparkling wine to float

1 lemon swath

1. Pour all ingredients except sparkling wine into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously 10 seconds.

2. Strain into a coupe. Top with sparkling wine.

3. Express oils from lemon swath by squeezing it over the drink. Discard peel or use it as a garnish, per preference.

Adapted from Blue Owl

Liza Weisstuch can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter @livingtheproof.