Clarified Pina Colada Milk Punch Recipe
The earliest clarified brandy Milk Punch recipe dates back to 1711, so it's not a new technique yet it has come back into vogue in recent years.The earliest recipe calls for a gallon of brandy, five quarts of water, eight lemons, and two pounds of sugar. Two gallons of scalding hot “new milk” are added and after an hour it is then strained through a flannel bag. Camper English has published an in-depth article on Cooks Illustrated: The Key to Crystal-Clear Cocktails? Milk. (Really.)Benjamin Franklin had written a recipe for Milk Punch in 1763. It is a bit boozer and less sweet but has the same basic formula with the addition of nutmeg.Milk washing uses the acids to curdle the milk and coagulate its casein proteins. The nest of curds settles to the bottom and 'filters' the drink as it's passed through the curd.It also softens the flavors of the punch ingredients, stripping out astringent-tasting tannins and other polyphenols.Important things to note when milk-washing / clarifying:
- Always add the acidic drink to the milk and not the other way round
- Use a drink to milk ratio of 4:1
- The curds act as the filter and not the cheesecloth / coffee filter
- Don't disturb the bed of curds if filtering a second time
- The milk can be heated but isn't necessary
- Be patient
Ingredients
- 210 ml Aged Rum
- 120 ml Coconut Water
- 60 ml Falernum
- 120 ml Pineapple Juice
- 15 ml Demerera Syrup
- 45 ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 120 ml Whole Milk
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the milk into a jug
- Add the whole milk into a second jug
- Slowly add the contents of the first jug to the milk (add to the milk and not the other way round)
- Stir gently
- Strain through cheesecloth, a tea towel or coffee filter
- Wait patiently
- Transfer the first 25% of the strained drink back into the filter (careful not to disturb the bed of curds)
- Alternatively, strain everything a second time
Notes
Makes approximately 600ml
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4 Comments
M
May 15, 2022 at 9:17 amMade it twice thinking of had done something wrong the first time. Terrible both times.
Jdubs
October 8, 2022 at 7:11 pmMade this en masse and came out absolutely stellar! Looks just like the picture! (20 years bar experience helps!)
Dave
July 10, 2023 at 6:45 amShould be 7oz of rum. Looks like a conversion error in the printed recipe.
Steve the Bartender
September 18, 2023 at 6:41 pmThanks for the heads up! All fixed 🙂