This Vintage 3-Ingredient Whiskey Cocktail Has A Deep History

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We love an uncomplicated cocktail that delivers complex, delectable flavor, like the three-ingredient Brazilian caipirinha cocktail. Another killer cocktail with just a trio of ingredients is called milk punch, and it's an old-school unexpected delight that even the Founding Fathers likely enjoyed. According to the Massachusetts Historical Society, Benjamin Franklin enclosed his recipe for milk punch in a letter to his good friend James Bowdoin, and his preparation shared characteristics of two retro curdled drinks: a syllabub and a posset.

Milk punch is made by combining a spirit (which may be whiskey or brandy — and, while we're at it, there is a difference between brandy and cognac) with sweetener and milk. The alcohol causes the milk to curdle, after which the solids are strained out. In an exclusive interview with Foodie's sister site Food Republic, Rocco Carulli, owner and executive chef of R House explained, "The milk softens the edges of the spirit and adds this elegant mouthfeel that modern drinks don't often touch." 

Avoiding lactose? You can substitute a non-dairy cow's milk alternative. Carulli said that oat milk or coconut milk are particularly good swaps. Feel free to mix things up by adding warming spices like clove or cinnamon to your milk punch, or by swirling in infused honey as your sweetener for extra flavor. Your milk punch will taste just grand in its original, simple recipe, however, and has the bonus of being a great party drink to batch ahead of time.

Milk punch gets its exquisite flavor from a chemical reaction called "milk washing." Basically the proteins in milk, known as caseins, bind to strong colors and flavors in acidic liquids (like your liquor) and pull them away from the whey. The globs of curd absorb the astringency of the spirit, leaving a mellow, tasty drink behind. Now, in Ben Franklin's time, folks would have munched the curds of a posset or syllabub after drinking, but most of us appear to have lost our taste for that. Milk punch, sans curds, is a delicious cocktail that lends itself to riffing.

In his time, Franklin might have added citrus zest or nutmeg to his milk punch. Even today, infusing your alcohol for around 24 hours with lemon or orange rind adds a delicious flavor to your final drink. Vanilla extract will amplify the natural sweetness of the cocktail, while some smoked maple syrup will play up the woodsy notes of your spirit, especially if you use a mixture of bourbon and dark rum like we've seen suggested. You can even heat your milk and serve this drink warm as a more adult alternative to hot cocoa on a cozy winter morning. It gives the same savor as eggnog, but not quite as rich — which would explain why it's perennially popular in the hot Southern clime of New Orleans, where it might be too toasty during the winter holidays to thoroughly enjoy a traditional Christmas tipple.

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