Milk punch

Have you ever enjoyed a milk punch? It's a milk-based adult beverage commonly drunk on holidays in Louisiana. A combination of said milk, bourbon and/or brandy, sugar and nutmeg, served cold, it is a sublime cocktail and definitely feels festive. I love to drink one on Christmas day and there is certainly nothing wrong with starting things off on New Years Eve with a glass of this frosty brew. www.em-i-lis.com

Today, we had some friends over for brunch and leftover pie, and it seemed fitting to serve milk punches too. These are friends always willing to drink midday and since none of us had anywhere to be, and our kids are friends, we each raised a glass. In addition to this simply being fun, I do believe T and I now possess the best milk punch recipe out there.

Searching for it commenced because T suggested maple syrup as the sweetener instead of the powdered sugar I've traditionally used. I balked, he pushed back, I said search for a recipe that utilizes this (so we could see if ever this had been done; you gotta think before tweaking an already-excellent drink), and lo, he unearthed this one published three years ago in the NY Times. I urge you to concoct one for yourself post haste.

Milk Punch, serves 4

  • 1/2 cup bourbon (we used Buffalo Trace)
  • 1/2 cup brandy or aged rum (we used a mid-tier Cognac, the one with which I brandy peaches)
  • 2 cups of milk (use whole, or a 75/25 blend of 2% and cream), the NYT also suggests freezing milk in ice trays and using those as your "ice" so as not to water things down
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (per the usual, I suggest Grade B)
  • grated nutmeg (freshly grated is best)

Stir everything but the nutmeg together in a pitcher and pour into double old-fashioned glasses or short tumblers. Add frozen milk cubes or ice cubes and sprinkle grated nutmeg over the tops. You can make the mixture in advance, including the nutmeg, and keep it in the fridge!