6 Milk Punch Recipes for Mardi Gras (or Any Tuesday)
When you first see milk punch, you may think it's a misnomer. Though the 18th-century cocktail is made with milk, it's as transparent as water (okay, more like translucent), which is why contemporary bartenders are as obsessed with it as was Benjamin Franklin back in 1763. But wait, what happens to the, uh, milky stuff? Well, the milk gets mixed with liquor, simple syrup, and dairy-curdling citrus, then those curds get strained out, leaving behind flavorful, alcohol-infused whey. In the era before refrigeration, this process ensured the punch could remain shelf-stable for months.
Since then, this cocktail has remained a New Orleans tradition, an eye-opener that provides much-needed stamina during the whirl of Mardi Gras festivities. But today, bartenders across the country are whipping up their own versions, with liquors ranging from the traditional brandy to vodka. Be forewarned—some of these recipes are time-intensive... so plan ahead!
Matt Duckor1/6Brandy Milk Punch
“Unlike many great classic cocktails that you have to make individually, milk punch actually tastes better if you let it ‘marinate’ overnight. All the elements come together this way,” says Ti Martin, co-owner of New Orleans’s storied Commander’s Palace. During the restaurant’s beloved brunch, its brandy rendition appears on almost every table; in the summertime Martin prefers bourbon. Make it the night before, and then serve it a rocks glass with freshly grated nutmeg. "This is my favorite Mardi Gras drink," says Martin. "We actually freeze them in water bottles, and after a few hours on our float it is a perfect slushy consistency.”
Matt Duckor2/6Crystal Clear Milk Punch
This versatile recipe from Eamon Rockey, general manager of New York's Betony, calls for robust black tea like Assam or English Breakfast, paired with either beer, cider, or in-season juice. “Blood orange is great right now,” he said in February. An à la minute spirit—say, vodka, gin, or rum—is up to the imbiber. “The nice thing about straying a bit from the original recipe by not adding a base spirit until serving it is that you can customize it to your guests' preferences."
Matt Duckor3/6Barbecue Apple Milk Punch
Backbar, tucked behind the restaurant Journeyman in Somerville, MA, serves a roster of ambitious milk punches—co-owner and bar manager Sam Treadway guesses they’ve churned out about 100 different ones over the past two years. One ambitious hit is the BBQ Apple, in which Treadway mixes equal parts mezcal, gin, apple brandy, maple liqueur, apple cider syrup, and lemon juice, capped off with a blast of chipotle Tabasco before the boiling milk makes an appearance. “It sold like hotcakes," Treadway said, "because people heard the description and they were intrigued. ‘BBQ apple? I don't know what that would taste like.’ And then once they did, it both fit the title and was surprisingly pleasant without any singular flavor being too aggressive."
Matt Duckor4/6Seasonal Milk Punch
The current iteration of milk punch on the menu of New York restaurant North River flaunts a heady mix of dark rum and bourbon, along with ruby red Port. “Right now," says owner Colby Zito, "we serve this version with aged spirits because I think it very much exemplifies what I want to drink during the cold winter months." His spring version will contain fresher, more herbaceous flavors.
Matt Duckor5/6Winter Milk Punch
Milk punch is undoubtedly the star of Brooklyn bar Tooker Alley’s cocktail menu. Proprietor Del Pedro infuses it with Oregon chai for a deep tea flavor. “I didn’t feel that I had to hew to an orthodox milk punch,” Pedro explains. “Leaving some milk solids in helped with the body of the drink. It was much more satisfying on a cold winter night than the classic.” Pedro also shuns “quite-heavy” demerara syrup and serves his milk punch straight up because he found ice diluted it too much, and the flavors became dissipated.
6/6Warm Milk Punch
Classic cocktails are the crux of The Varnish, the sexy hideout behind Cole’s, in downtown Los Angeles. The warm milk punch doesn’t stray too far from Mary Rocket’s 18th-century creation (the first one ever written), but small tweaks include a mix of rum and Cognac instead of using solely brandy, letting an oleo-saccharum (muddled lemon zest and sugar that create a fragrant syrup) stand in for a lemon peel infusion, and swapping in more milk for water. “The process is time-consuming,” says general manager Max Seaman, "but it allows the flavors and textures to integrate and unify."
