How to Clarify co*cktails with Milk and Pineapple Clarified Milk Punch Recipe - Craft and co*cktails (2024)

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Clarified co*cktails & Preservation

If asked my favorite way to have my drinks it would be silky and crystal, crystal clear. To get crystal clear drink does not require magic, but rather a little science and milk, yup milk! You may have noticed the frequency of the term clarified or clarified milk punch on co*cktail menus around the world the past couple years, but this fancy techniques has been around for centuries dating back to colonial times. Even Benjamin Franklin used to f*ck with clarified punches, he knew what was up. Rather then being a way to wow patrons with a clear drink as bartenders do today, they had used it for preserving drinks, especially with citrus well into cold months. Preservation was key when fridges where not even a blip on their radars. The clarified punches can keep for months after undergoing the process. Clarified co*cktails beyond being clear have a lovely mouth feel as a result, all the flavors have married into one unifying sip. Because of it’s show stopping and curious process, clarifying co*cktails has seen a booming resurgence among bartenders and co*cktail enthusiast crowd. Take a peek on the menus at your local craft co*cktail watering whole next time and you may spy a clarified co*cktail or two!

THE SCIENCE BEHIND MILK CLARIFICATION

Soooo, what exactly happens to make the co*cktails clear? Clarification with milk simply happens by using acid (such as citrus) to curdle the milk. During the curdling process, the milk proteins will latch onto things such as tannins leaving behind all of the good stuff that gives the drink a round silky mouth feel with out any harsh, overpowering components. The milk lends a slightly sweet flavor, but with out the thick creaminess. Any co*cktail that has an acidic component like citrus (I’m trying coffee next!) and milk can be clarified.I used whole milk as has been suggested to be the best, but other things like goat milk and possible high protein almond milk can do to the trick. There are quite a few clarified co*cktail recipes floating around with things like teas, coconut, and even cereal milk. My ever present inner child approves of the last one. I am already hooked after making this Pineapple Spice Clarified Milk Punch and dreaming up new co*cktails to try this method with. What shall I clarify next?

If you are looking for a way more in-depth and science focused explanation for the milk clarification, this article by Alcademicsis fantastic and will be your guide. My post is a little more digestible for those intimidated by the process. Plus a recipe for a clarified punch as your consolation prize for reading this post!

For more co*cktails, entertaining, & shenanigans you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, &Twitter !

OTHER CLARIFIED co*ckTAILS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Fruity Pebbles Clarified Punch

Cranberry Spiced Clarified co*cktail

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How to Clarify co*cktails with Milk and Pineapple Clarified Milk Punch Recipe - Craft and co*cktails (13)

Pineapple Clarified Milk Punch

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Ashley Rose Conway
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 hours
  • Yield: 16 1x
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Description

How to clarify co*cktails with milk, it’s easier than you think! This pineapple clarified milk punch recipe is a great template to learn how to clarify co*cktails.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 16 oz brandy
  • 16 oz rum
  • peels of four lemons
  • 2 nutmeg, chopped
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, chopped
  • 2 whole Star anise, chopped
  • 8 oz lemon juice
  • 8 oz pineapple juice
  • 16 oz sugar by volume
  • 16 oz water
  • 8 oz milk
  • garnish: grate nutmeg, lemon peel

Instructions

  1. Peel lemons and chop spices. Add the peels of lemons, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and star anise to a container along with the brandy and rum and let set 2 hours or up to 12 hours preferably. Strain out the solids. Add sugar, water, lemon juice and pineapple juice to the infused booze mixture and stir to dissolve the sugar.
  2. In a non-reactive container, add the cold milk. Slowly pour in the co*cktail into the milk. Stir. Let set for a few hours in the fridge to let the milk do its thing (a.k.a. curdle) do not stir. When the whey has formed into a “web” in the container and settle to the bottom, it’s time to strain. You can leave it for up to 24 hours.
  3. Put a cheese cloth over a container or jar with a funnel. I used a Chemex coffee maker. Slowly strain into the cheesecloth. It will take a bit to fully strain. Strain again, but this time use the coffee filter in a funnel over another container. The cheese cloth catches the bigger clumps of whey, but lets some smaller whey through. The coffee filter catches the rest, but wont get clogged with the thicker whey, which can take hours to strain!
  4. Et viola! there you have it a clear milk punch that will last for months in the fridge!
  5. To serve: Pour into a glass with a large cube, preferably clear ice to show off all your hard work clarifying, grate of nutmeg on top with a lemon peel and optional pineapple leaf for flair.

Notes

Tools needed: two large non-reactive pitchers or containers,Chemex or large container, coffee filter and cheesecloth

glassware suggestion: rocks glass. I used these from Umami mart

You can use just a coffee filter for straining, but this can take hours. If you have the time and want to save a step, use the coffee filter only for the first strain instead of the cheesecloth.

How to Clarify co*cktails with Milk and Pineapple Clarified Milk Punch Recipe - Craft and co*cktails (2024)

FAQs

How to clarify co*cktails with milk? ›

Milk Washing: A co*cktail is mixed with milk, causing the milk to curdle. As it does, the curds trap impurities. The mix is then strained, producing a clear liquid that retains flavours but loses any colours or haziness. Milk Washing can also remove harshness and add a silky texture to spirits.

What is the ratio of milk to co*cktail for clarification? ›

(Do not use ice cold milk as it will inhibit the curdling needed for this process.) Traditional recipes use a 1:4 ratio of milk to co*cktail—one part milk for every four parts mixed drink. Add the milk into a separate container. Then, sacrifice your crafted co*cktail to the dairy gods by slowly pouring it into the milk.

What is the milk clarification method? ›

Clarification (AKA Milk-Washing) is an old method that can massively enhance the quality of your co*cktails. The acidity of your co*cktail will curdle the milk, and this will take out the bitter and astringent tastes that you get from some of the molecules that naturally occur in your drink, such as polyphenols.

Why is my clarified co*cktail not clear? ›

IT'S ALL IN THE MILK

Skim milks, nut milks, soy, oat and coconut milk won't curdle as well and therefore won't clarify as well, meaning your end result will be cloudy.

How long to leave milk in milk punch? ›

The milk should break as you add the co*cktail. Stop stirring when it breaks, and gently add the rest of the co*cktail batch without agitating it. Allow the mixture to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to a few hours.

Are milk clarified co*cktails shelf-stable? ›

A clear, silky-smooth, shelf-stable elixir that lasted for months. No refrigerator necessary. Benjamin Franklin was a notable fan of clarified milk punch. He enclosed his own recipe in a letter to the governor of Massachusetts in 1763.

What does clarified with milk mean? ›

While creamy milk punches are prevalent throughout the American South, clarified milk punch is the so-called English style of the drink. It's created through a sort of alchemy: Milk is prompted to curdle, binding certain particles in the punch, which are strained away, leaving a translucent liquid.

What is a milk clarifier? ›

A milk clarifier machine is a type of dairy processing equipment used to separate solids and impurities from raw milk. The machine works by using centrifugal force to separate the heavier solids from the lighter liquid. The clarified milk is then ready for further processing, such as pasteurization or cheese making.

What happens when milk goes through the clarification process? ›

Milk clarification is a co*cktail technique in which an acidic ingredient is used to curdle milk, separating it into curds and whey. The curd clumps act as filters that trap particulates, so that when a cloudy liquid is poured through them (such as a co*cktail with lime juice that curdled the milk) it comes out clear.

How to clarify pineapple juice? ›

Simply line a strainer with a coffee filter, pour in the juice, and allow it to drip through. The filter catches pulp, seeds, skin and any other tiny particles that make the juice cloudy – and on the other side you'll have a clear, clean liquid.

What is the point of milk punch? ›

Part of the appeal is versatility. Milk punch can be made from almost any spirit, combined with nearly any juice, tea, or spice. As long as curdled milk is used to clarify the mixture, milk punch is the result. This allows for nearly infinite flavor variations and recipe riffs for the adventurous bartender to explore.

How to clarify pina colada? ›

We take the classic Piña Colada and clarify it, changing the flavor, appearance, and mouthfeel. Milk washing is a unique drink clarifying technique where you combine a stirred co*cktail with whole milk and then strain through coffee filters to create an impressive, transparent version of that drink.

What does milk washing do to a co*cktail? ›

When whole milk is added to spirits and broken using a citrus ingredient, milk breaks into curds and whey. Then the curds are strained from the drink. The protein in the whey-spirit blend activates when shaken. This results in a co*cktail which is fluffy and rich in texture.

How do you make white foam on top of co*cktails? ›

How to make an egg foam
  1. STEP 1/7. Pour half an eggwhite in your shaker. ...
  2. STEP 2/7. Add your co*cktail.
  3. STEP 3/7. Shake with no ice (it's called a dry shake) to make your mixture foamy.
  4. STEP 4/7. Add ice.
  5. STEP 5/7. Shake vigorously to refresh, dilute and obtain a long lasting foam.
  6. STEP 6/7. Strain into your glass.
  7. STEP 7/7.

Does milk curdle when mixed with alcohol? ›

The higher the fat content in the milk, the less likely it is to curdle. This is why heavy cream, and sometimes half-and-half, can handle the addition of beer without so much as a casein clump. It also helps to use fresh ingredients -- both beer and cream -- and to introduce them slowly at cool temperatures.

How do you clarify a co*cktail without acid? ›

Simply put – You still follow the same method when making a milk-clarified punch. The difference is using rehydrated milk powder! It miraculously allows you to clarify with zero acids, and if you toast the powder first, it develops a browned butter taste. It can also mean a cheaper and more shelf-stable option.

References

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