Milk Punch
We have a long history of serving milk punch at Craigie On Main. The drink requires more initial work, but the delicious result is a crystal-clear, milky-sweet yet light-bodied liqueur. This rendition features coffee and chocolate dimensions, as well as a touch of fruit, for a perfect post-dinner sip.
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 24 ounces Kahlúa
- 16 ounces raspberry black tea
- 4 ounces white crème de cacao
- 2 ounces Amaro Averna*
- 2 ounces Rittenhouse Rye whiskey
Instructions
- Add milk to a heavy bottomed pan or double boiler. Split and scrape vanilla bean into milk. Heat over medium until temperature reaches 185 to 212°F.
- Combine all other ingredients in a large pitcher or bowl.
- Add the scalded milk to the other ingredients. The milk will curdle quite rapidly. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, strain milk mixture through cheesecloth 2 to 3 times (allowing curds to act as a natural filter), until liquid is clear.
- Milk punch will keep, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 weeks.
Notes
*Averna adds beautiful depth to the final beverage. If you can’t find it, substitute more Kahlúa to make up the difference. Fernet-Branca is more widely available and may be substituted for Averna, but it will give the punch a slightly bitter, menthol-laced taste. Luxardo Amaro Abano is another possible substitute, but it’s also hard to locate.
Jared Sadoian
Jared Sadoian is the lead bartender at Tony Maws’ restaurant The Kirkland Tap & Trotter in Somerville, Mass. You can also find him behind the bar at Kirkland’s sister restaurant, Craigie On Main, or leading cocktail and spirits seminars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Photographer Kristin Teig
Kristin Teig is a food, travel and lifestyle photographer based in Boston. Having grown up in San Diego, some of her earliest food memories consist of rolled tacos in aluminum foil-covered trays and bags of spicy carrots. While studying painting in Italy during college, she shared a family meal that sparked an obsession with documenting meals and the stories behind them. See more of her work at http://www.kristinteig.com/
