Ep. 30: Let’s be clear - Clarified Milk Punch and Spicy Clarified Mezcal Margarita

Welcome to the episode 30 of The Art of Drinking with Join Jules and Your Favorite Uncle

What are we drinking?

If you haven’t tried clarified cocktails, you simply haven’t lived! This episode is about where it all started and where it’s going! Uncle Brad brings the history and the very first recipe (documented) for Mary Rockett’s Clarified Milk Punch. Jules takes us into the future, or at least Mexico, with a Spicy Mezcal Clarified Margarita. Ouuu… fancy!

Mary Rockett’s Clarified Milk Punch - thank you Splendid Table

• What you’ll need

  • 2 cup brandy

  • 2 cup water

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • Zest strips of 1 lemon

  • Zest strips of 1 orange (navel orange is fine)

  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar  

  • ¼ plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • ¼ cup orange juice

  Steps

  1. In one container you are going to infuse your brand by combining 2 cups of brandy, lemon zest strips, and orange zest strips. Seal and let rest at room temp for 18 hours to 2 days. 

     When brandy infusion has completed its “resting”

  What you’ll need

  1. Discard zest strips from brandy infusion

  2. In a large liquid measuring cup, large pitcher, bowl, container…. whatever it is, make sure it’s big enough to handle all liquid. For now, ONLY add 1 cup of milk. Set aside

  3. In a large bowl whisk brandy infusion, water, sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice until sugar has dissolved 

  4. Pour brandy mixture into milk (spirit to milk… s to m). Gently stir curds with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate overnight to 24 hours 

  5. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a coffee filter or paper towel. A chinois (shen-wah) is ideal here. If using paper towels, make sure when you begin pouring the liquid into the strainer that it doesn’t sneak through the folds of the paper towel or over the top of the paper towel (or coffee filter). This is a slow process, so have patience… because you’re going to strain it following this same process one more time (replace filters and towels as needed)

  6. Transfer the clarified punch to a lidded container (an empty 750ml liquor bottle works really well) and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve

  7. Pour into a chilled glass, over a chunk of clear ice, and give it a little fresh nutmeg garnish and slice of orange, lemon, or dried citrus

Jules’ Spicy Clarified Mezcal Margarita

• Ingredients

  • 6 oz mezcal (or tequila)

  • 2 oz chile liqueur

  • 3 oz cointreau

  • 3  oz fresh lime juice

  • 2 oz simple syrup

  • 4 oz whole milk

  Steps

  1. Stir together mezcal, chile liqueur, cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup

  2. In a separate large container add milk

  3. Pour mezcal mixture into milk and gently stir curds

  4. Let rest a few hours to overnight

  5. Stain 

  6. Let sit for a couple hours/overnight

  7. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a coffee filter or paper towel. A chinois (shen-wah) is ideal here. If using paper towels, make sure when you begin pouring the liquid into the strainer that it doesn’t sneak through the folds of the paper towel or over the top of the towel (or coffee filter). 

  8. Transfer the clarified margarita to a lidded container (an empty 750ml liquor bottle works really well) and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

  9. Serve by rimming a lowball glass with tajin or spicy salt and pour your spicy clarified mezcal margarita over a clear ice cube

  10. Garnish with lime wheel and edible flowers (oh now that’s fancy!)

Did you know?

In original punch bowl versions, the appeal was in the quality and freshness of dairy (milk and Cream).

Cocktails are single servings of punch. By 1850’s Milk Punch was made by the glass vs the bowl and often given to those who were sick as a “Strengthening beverage”

In the 1940’s Brennan’s, famous restaurant in the French Quarter of N’awlins, wanted to make day drinking fashionable (as well as egg dishes) and created the Brandy Milk Punch (which has a bit of rum in it and often swapped out for Bourbon - I prefer it with Brandy). They say that Brenna’s was known for a drink and a wink as they served you a little hair of the dog in the mornin

Get your Milk Punch history & more by listening to the full podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Tip: How to clarify your cocktails

Jules’ tips:

• Now, I got this from thirsty whale & Kaitlyn stewart but the paper towel trick when straining! 

• At least 4 hours, but overnight really is preferred

• I’m so sorry to say but you need FAT so stay away from skim milk

• From experience… pour the cocktail into the milk, not the other way around. It will incorporate better rather than dumping the milk right in and it instantly curdling (lol I hate the word curd)

Tips for Clarifying your cocktail

• Acid should be present and SOUR or a cocktail with citrus juice will clarify

• 4 to 1 ratio of cocktail (punch) to milk

• Whole Milk - quality milk matters, go for the good stuff in the glass bottle

• Don’t use Cream - it leaves and odd smell

• Go buy a chinois and a stand

• You can also use coffee filters, but make sure to rinse them first!