The Inside Scoop on The Bonkers Clarified Milk Punch Cocktail

If “Milk Punch” makes you think, “mmmm, not for me. I don’t like milk in my cocktails”, think again.

Our clarified milk punch cocktails don’t contain any milk! When something acidic is added to a dairy product, like milk, the milk proteins bind to specific molecules associated with bitter or astringent tastes. After the milk curdles and the solids are filtered out of the spirit, those bound-up molecules are filtered out, leaving a wonderful spirit behind.

Whey proteins dissolved in the liquid stay behind after filtering, leaving the drink with a silky smooth mouthfeel.

The earliest milk punch use was found in 1711 when Mary Rockett strained hot milk, brandy, lemon, and spices through a flannel bag. Without a refrigerator, milk punch became an alcoholic drink that wouldn’t spoil.

There is also evidence that Benjamin Franklin was a fan of clarified milk punch. In 1763 he sent his recipe to the governor of Massachusetts, and over a century later, bottles of his recipe were discovered in Charles Dickens’s wine cellar. Dickens was long gone, but the milk punch was still good.

The curdling is the most shocking part but is also the most critical step for the milk punch. The curds make it possible to strain out the dairy solids, making the beverage clear. 

This process is gaining popularity again because it makes wild concoctions smooth and subtle. From coconut water to sugar-cereal to pork-fat-jalapeño-infused mezcal, bartenders are packing a punch with clarified milk punch cocktails.

The last two menus in the Tasting Room have featured a “clarified cocktail.” For the Winter 2022 menu, one of our bartenders and creative, Melissa Ostrow, created the Clearly This Was Mint For You, a cocktail packed with the mint-chocolate flavor of a Grasshopper cookie.

Melissa created a milk punch made from chocolate milk, spearmint, The Block Distilling Co. Vodka, and The Block Distilling Co. Amaro for this grasshopper-inspired cocktail. She washed it with yogurt, and the flavor left behind was indescribable. Imagine taking a sip of Nesquik, and once you’ve swallowed it, get a hint of a minty-rich spirit.

And the best part, it was totally clear! Melissa added her own house-made Winter Bitters to the cocktail to give it an added punch.

Surprisingly, making a clarified milk punch at home is not as hard as it sounds if you’ve got some time to dedicate to the experiment. We recommend starting with this simple recipe from Alton Brown and taking it wherever you want from there!

Try the I Like It When You Call Me Big Poppy next time you're in the Tasting Room, our current clarified milk punch cocktail.