Recipe

Mary Rockett’s Citrus Milk Punch

by Dan Souza

This recipe is based off of the oldest known written recipe for milk punch (which I found in cocktail historian David Wondrich’s book Punch). The original features a simple combination of brandy, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and water and is clarified with scalded milk. My adaptations to Mary’s original recipe are few: I use cold milk in place of hot, add orange peel and orange juice to the lemon for a more complex citrus flavor, and scale it down to make one quart (the original makes about twelve 750-milliliter bottles). The finished drink is bright and clean with limoncello-like lemon (and orange) intensity, and the whey that remains after clarification provides velvety body.  

Yield
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
454 g brandy
13 g lemon zest strips (from 1 lemon)
13 g orange zest strips (from 1 orange)
227 g whole milk
454 g water
113 g sugar
75 g lemon juice
60 g orange juice
2 cups brandy
½ ounce lemon zest strips (from 1 lemon)
½ ounce orange zest strips (from 1 orange)
1 cup whole milk
2 cups water
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounces) sugar
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 454 g brandy 
    • 13 g lemon zest strips  
    • 13 g orange zest strips
    Combine brandy, lemon zest strips, and orange zest strips in lidded container and let sit at room temperature for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days. Discard zest strips.  
    • 227 g whole milk 
    • 454 g water 
    • 113 g sugar 
    • 75 g lemon juice 
    • 60 g orange juice
    Place milk in 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large pitcher; set aside. In large liquid measuring cup or large bowl, whisk infused brandy, water, sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice until sugar dissolves. 
  1. Pour brandy mixture into milk. Gently stir curds with small spoon. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. 
  2. Line fine-mesh strainer with coffee filter and set over large measuring cup or bowl. Gently pour brandy-milk mixture into coffee filter and let drain. Drain strained punch mixture through curds in coffee filter one more time. Discard curds and coffee filter. Transfer clarified punch to lidded glass container and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour 56 to 85 grams chilled punch into small glass. 
Instructions
    • 2 cups brandy 
    • ½ ounce lemon zest strips (from 1 lemon) 
    • ½ ounce orange zest strips (from 1 orange)
    Combine brandy, lemon zest strips, and orange zest strips in lidded container and let sit at room temperature for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days. Discard zest strips. 
    • 1 cup whole milk 
    • 2 cups water 
    • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounces) sugar 
    • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
    • ¼ cup orange juice
    Place milk in 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large pitcher; set aside. In large liquid measuring cup or large bowl, whisk infused brandy, water, sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice until sugar dissolves.
  1. Pour brandy mixture into milk. Gently stir curds with small spoon. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. 
  2. Line fine-mesh strainer with coffee filter and set over large measuring cup or bowl. Gently pour brandy-milk mixture into coffee filter and let drain. Drain strained punch mixture through curds in coffee filter one more time. Discard curds and coffee filter. Transfer clarified punch to lidded glass container and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour ¼ cup to 3/8 cup chilled punch into small glass. 
Close

Cook’s Science Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to learn about new stories, get behind-the-scenes looks at our research and testing, and score exclusive recipes.

Welcome to the community!

Keep an eye on your inbox for the sauce recipes and for our regular newsletter. Thanks for joining us!