Story of milk punch

As we began planning our holiday menu, I decided to include a festive cocktail from my time in New Orleans - milk punch. For those of you unfamiliar with the drink, it may help to learn there are several versions, one popularized by Benjamin Franklin, an Irish favorite and a traditional Mardi Gras hangover cure.

The latter is seen in the photo, similar in flavor to eggnog, but not as rich in texture. Made from milk, sugar and brandy (or bourbon), the concoction is typically shaken with ice, strained into a glass and sprinkled with nutmeg.

Because of the city’s humid climate, you’ll also find this served at restaurants in a semi-frozen, almost slushy state.

Alternatively, you can try the Irish drink known as Scáiltín. For this, you combine Irish whiskey (think Jameson) with milk, honey and vanilla in a saucepan over a very low heat. As the honey dissolves, the mixture is vigorously stirred to create a frothy foam.

Like the chilled version, a sprinkle of nutmeg is the standard garnish.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Society, you can recreate the Colonial-era milk punch from a recipe (or as he called it, receipt) written in Ben Franklin’s own hand. The process is time-consuming and the end result does not look anything like milk; instead, the drink is clear to translucent with a flavor far from an ordinary glass of milk.

Franklin’s milk punch likely has its origins in a sickroom staple of the time, the posset.

To help fight a cold or flu, sweetened hot milk would be mixed with wine or ale. The combination of heat and alcohol curdled the milk, separating it into curds and whey.

Both liquid and solid would be decanted into a posset cup, a two-handled bowl with a spout on the side.

You would sip the liquid through the spout and when sufficiently revived, spoon up the curds from the bottom of the bowl.

Syllabub is another ancestor of milk punch and also related to the posset. Here milk is curdled by the acidity of a citrus ingredient, usually lemon. Typically served in a glass and offered for dessert, syllabub is consumed in two steps. First, the sweet curds are eaten with a spoon, then you drink the spiced liquid.

For the milk punch enjoyed by Ben Franklin and his contemporaries, there is a significant step added to the process. Unlike posset and syllabub, this milk punch is not served as a mixture of solid and liquid, nor is it served just after it’s made. The 18th century milk punch is steeped for at least a day, then strained until clear.

This approach makes sense in a time before refrigeration, when the high alcohol content would make milk punch shelf-stable for quite some time, an important feature, since the volume of ingredients in Franklin’s recipe makes an enormous amount.

I’ve included examples of the various ways to assemble milk punch, from New Orleans style to the Irish way. With thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Society, below is Ben Franklin’s original recipe (from a letter he wrote in 1763) as well as the modern adaptation of milk punch.

To Make Milk Punch*

Take 6 quarters of Brandy, and the Rinds of 44 Lemons pared very thin; Steep the Rinds in the Brandy 24 hours; then strain it off. Put to it 4 Quarts of Water, 4 large Nutmegs, grated, 2 quarts of Lemon juice, 2 pounds of double refined Sugar. When the Sugar is dissolved, boil 3 Quarts of Milk and put it to the rest hot as you take it off the Fire, and stir it about. Let it stand two Hours; then run it thro’ a Jelly-bag till it is clear; then bottle it off.

Modern Adaptation of Franklin’s Milk Punch*

6 C brandy
11 lemons
4 C water
1 freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/8 C sugar
3 C whole milk

Zest and juice the lemons. Combine lemon zest with brandy and steep for 24 hours. Set aside 2 C of lemon juice. The next day, strain lemon zest from brandy and discard. In a large container, combine strained brandy, 2 C lemon juice, 4 C water, nutmeg and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves; set aside. Heat milk over medium high until it comes to a boil. Immediately add hot milk to the brandy mixture; set aside for 2 hours to cool. Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain the punch until clear. Chill before serving.

New Orleans Style Milk Punch

1 1/2 oz bourbon
2 oz whole milk
2 oz heavy cream
1 t confectioners sugar
2 drops vanilla extract
3 ice cubes, cracked
grated nutmeg (optional)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until frothy, about 30 seconds. Strain into a highball glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Yield: 1 cocktail.

Scáiltín

1 C whole milk
2 oz Irish whiskey
1 T honey
1/8 t vanilla
pinch of cinnamon
1 t butter
grated nutmeg

Combine the milk and whiskey in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk until steaming and frothy. Pour into a mug; garnish with butter and nutmeg. Yield: 1 serving

*From the Massachusetts Historical Society (www.masshist.org)