Milk punch

Style

Milk punch is a punch clarified with milk, so the curds strain out and leave a clear, silky drink.

Also called: milk washing · clarified milk punch · milk-washed cocktail

Milk to punch (clarified): About 1 part milk to 4 parts punch
Rest before straining: 1 hour to overnight in the fridge
Earliest known recipe: 1711, Mary Rockett's manuscript
Foam from whey proteins: Fades after about 5 days
Brandy Milk Punch strength (Difford's): about 12% ABV with 1.5 oz (44 ml) cognac
Formula: 4 parts punch (spirit, citrus, sugar, tea or spice) poured into 1 part whole milk, rested until it curdles, then strained clear

What Milk punch means

Milk punch starts as an ordinary punch. You pour that punch into whole milk, and its acid splits the milk into curds and whey. When you strain the drink, the curds leave with the color, and what stays is whey protein, which gives a silky body.

The earliest known recipe dates to 1711, from Mary Rockett's handwritten book, and Benjamin Franklin sent his own version in a letter in 1763. The point is a rounder, softer drink than the same punch without milk. Because it needs an hour or more to rest, it suits making ahead for a party.

It is easy to assume a clarified milk punch tastes milky. It does not, because the curds are strained out. Milk washing removes tannins, so oak-aged spirits lose some character, and unaged gin, white rum or vodka show it best. The drink still has dairy proteins, so it is not vegan or safe for a milk allergy. Strength varies by recipe. The unclarified Brandy Milk Punch in Difford's Guide, with 1.5 oz (44 ml) of cognac, comes to about 12% ABV.

How to make milk punch

You need a batch of punch, whole milk and a coffee filter, plus at least an hour of rest before you strain.

1.Make the punch first from spirit, citrus juice, sugar, and tea or spice, with enough citrus acid to split the milk later.
2.Pour 4 parts punch into 1 part whole milk, not the other way around, because most recipes say this makes larger curds.
3.Let it rest for 1 hour to overnight in the fridge until the curds form.
4.Strain it slowly through a coffee filter, then pour the first cloudy runoff back through.
5.Serve within about 5 days if you want foam on top, since the whey foam fades after that.

Milk punch compared

PunchPunch is spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice. Milk punch adds milk, and the clear style strains the curds back out.
Clarified cocktailMilk washing is one way to clarify. Agar and a centrifuge are others, and only milk leaves whey proteins that add a silky texture.
Brandy milk punchThe New Orleans brunch drink shakes brandy, whole milk, sugar and vanilla, and keeps the milk in, so it is creamy, not clear.

Examples

Brandy Milk Punch
Bourbon Milk Punch
Clarified (English) Milk Punch
Benjamin Franklin's Milk Punch

Related terms

Ingredients

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.