The Milk Punch is one of those classic drinks which is beloved by its fans, but has a reputation of being a bit of a hassle to make at home. When working with diary you have to be careful not to split it, so some versions of the drink use milk that is clarified using heat and filtration. The classic version of the cocktail combines brandy or bourbon, rum, sugar, and vanilla alongside the milk for a creamy, boozy, comforting drink that’s a little like an eggnog without the egg.
A bartending expert from BLVD Steakhouse, Kyle Davidson, has come up with his own take on the Milk Punch, which uses clarified milk for a light, clearer cocktail that incorporates flavors from the classic Arnold Palmer drink as well. Named for the golfing legend, the Arnold Palmer combines iced tea and lemonade, and sometimes has a shot of vodka, cognac, or bourbon added as well.
To bring together the Arnold Palmer and the Milk Punch, Davidson incorporates Earl Grey tea with lemon juice and the bergamot liqueur Italicus along with clarified milk. He’s shared his recipe for a large batch of the drink, which is ideal for a big party — although you could divide the recipe by 10 if you want a smaller batch for just a few drinks.
Arnold Palmer Milk Punch
Milk Punch Instructions
From Beverage Director Kyle Davidson of BLVD Steakhouse
- Add cold milk to a cold batch, and let it sit overnight in the walk-in cooler. When beginning the straining process, let all the strainers chill before using.
- Take the main batch, and strain through a fine filter. This will come out fairly quickly and cloudy, as the raft builds up in the strainer. (I call this the first pass. I pass the whole batch through the strainer and make a container of “first pass”).
- Then take this “first pass” and re-strain it through a coffee filter. Again, initially this will strain quickly and be cloudy at first. After 20 minutes or so it should slow down and become clear. Once that happens, transfer the filter that is now in the sweet spot, to a new clean container and allow it to collect the clear milk punch.
- The strainer with no filter will also slowly find its sweet spot and filter cleanly, at which point it will be transferred to a new clean container and topped off periodically while it filters to clarity. Any sullied or unclear mix can now just be refiltered and will come through clear.
Ingredients and Instructions
- Sugar 2000g
- Orange Peel 100g
Muddle Orange Peel into sugar, let sit at least 15 minutes for oils to absorb
- Earl Grey Tea 35g
- Boiling water 2400g
Cover and steep for 10 minutes, then strain
- Steeped Tea 2000g
Add the steeped tea to sugar and orange peel mix
Then add:
- Angostura Bitters. 10 Dashes
- Lemon Juice. 3200 g
- Italicus 750 g
- Vodka (we use Sobieski). 6200g
- Water 400g
- Whole Milk (cold). 1500g
Once all added together let sit overnight, then begin the straining process.
To make a smaller serving, divide weights by 10
