Today, a cocktail bar menu rarely feels complete without at least one clear cocktail. In the past decade, centrifuges may have simplified the task of clarification, but separating milk solids from the liquid (aka making milk punch) is no modern-day invention—it dates back to the 1700s. The versatile technique means that practically any cocktail can go clear—including nonalcoholic drinks. Here’s how to do it at home.
For most bartenders, the preferred at-home technique calls for gently heating milk over the stove before straining out the solids that form as the water content evaporates. Matt Piacentini, from the Up & Up in New York City, points out that many drinks made this way fall under the “wintry end of the spectrum” (see: the London Fog–inspired Fog Lights Milk Punch), but recipes on all sides of the flavor wheel can benefit from the milk punch treatment. His Disco Volante, for example, is built on a foundation of Aperol and gin, reading more like a bracing aperitif with an added textural boost.
New York bartender Will Wyatt, meanwhile, follows a heatless technique akin to the first milk punches of the 18th century. He combines milk and lime juice and lets the mix sit until it curdles on its own, then he strains out the curds. This is the method used in his rum-based Sex Panther, a twist on the Cuba Libre. Eric Simmons, bar lead at Ginger’s in Dallas, takes a similar approach in his play on the New York Sour, the Diamond Noir, where the entire drink is filtered through heavy cream.
Also forgoing the stovetop method, Ryan Chetiyawardana, owner of the Lyan family of bars, uses yogurt whey (the watery result of straining full-fat yogurt) for a fast track to added richness in his Whey Punch. This method is quicker, and, Chetiyawardana says, “it still manages to get the silkiness you want to drink.”
While milk punch typically needs an acid to curdle the milk, Daniel Villa, bartender at Supperland in Charlotte, North Carolina, created an alternative method to clarify any drink using rehydrated powdered milk—no citrus juice necessary. That means drinks like a Vieux Carré can be clarified without lime or lemon, and with an added benefit: Milk powder can be toasted before rehydrating, resulting in a cocktail that tastes “simultaneously milk-punched and brown-butter fat-washed,” according to Villa.
Milk punch doesn’t require actual milk—but there are a few extra steps to take with a nondairy approach. Deepali Gupta served a coconut milk–clarified Piña Colada at Sidecar in New Delhi. He says the relatively low fat content in coconut milk means that clarifying with it yields a lower-volume drink. The bar sometimes adds coconut oil to the milk in order to increase the fat. Ezza Rose, bar consultant and educator behind Good Spirits PDX, has had success using extra-thick soy milk (she likes Pacific Foods Ultra Soy). She notes that nondairy clarification tends to take longer—“it’s time-consuming; set aside a weekend”—and requires some experimentation to get the right ratios and consistencies. At Los Angeles’ Night on Earth, meanwhile, head bartender Wes Meyn says including an ingredient with tannins helps “break” fats and proteins in the bar’s coconut milk–based punch, a clarified take on the Swampwater called the Swamp Thing.
For a faster alternative, Giancarlo Quiroz Jesus, head bartender at 53AD in Brooklyn, New York, adds lactic acid solution to silken tofu to speed up the process for his Always Disco. And Meyn, at Night on Earth, uses a technique learned from fellow L.A. bartender Austin Hennelly: By clarifying in a wider, shallower, slotted hotel pan, he increases the surface area, which makes larger curds and accelerates the process.
You probably won’t be using liquid nitrogen at home, but if you do find yourself with some behind the bar, consider a technique from Ankush Gamre, head mixologist at Masque in Mumbai. “While effective, [traditional] methods [of clarifying a cocktail] can affect flavor, aroma and alcohol strength,” says Gamre. “They also introduce dairy into the drink, which doesn’t work for everyone. We wanted a cleaner, more precise way to clarify cocktails without using milk or additives.” His method involves pouring liquid nitrogen over the ingredients (bourbon, sweet vermouth, pureed pineapple, melon tea, honey and a mix of acid powders, in their case) and allowing them to freeze. He puts the now-frozen mix into a large fine strainer lined with filter paper, then collects the clarified liquid. “Alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature than ingredients like fruit, citrus or sugar,” he says. “By rapidly freezing the cocktail using liquid nitrogen, we’re able to lock in flavour while separating unwanted solids. As the frozen mixture slowly melts, the clarified liquid is released, resulting in a drink that’s clear, smooth and subtly expressive.” To see the trick in action, check out how New York’s Overstory makes their own version of nitro-frozen milk punch.
A final technique takes the milk punch approach and applies it only to a particular spirit, rather than an entire cocktail. Where clarifying a drink as a whole can soften the acidity of fresh citrus and tropical juices, using a milk-washed spirit instead imparts richness without stripping away that bright flavor. This step, writes Punch contributor and drink expert Jack Schramm, “can take just about any shaken drink to the next level.”
Careful Cat
Coconut milk powder transforms this tequila drink into a clarified cocktail.
Puppy Pose
This zero-proof milk punch gets clarified with probiotic yogurt.
Sex Panther
The spirit of a Cuba Libre in milk punch format.
Swamp Thing
Swampwater meets milk punch in this coconut milk–clarified drink.
Always Disco
This clarified cocktail is made with silken tofu, rather than milk.
Invisible Goat
A clarified milk punch rendition built on a brandy base with chai spices.
