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

Print Recipe

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

Print

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 5 reviews

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

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 do you clarify pineapple juice with milk? ›

Add pineapple juice, rum, brandy, simple syrup and lemon juice to a pitcher, carafe or container. Shake or stir with a wooden spoon until well-mixed. Pour into whole milk and place in fridge to curdle for 30-60 minutes. Once curdled, strain over cheesecloth into separate container.

How do you clarify a co*cktail with milk? ›

It's simple alchemy: Mix the co*cktail, and then introduce the milk. The milk will curdle, sopping up bitter and astringent compounds in the co*cktail. Pour the curdled drink through a coffee filter and you're left with a glassy co*cktail that drinks crisp.

How much milk do you put in a milk punch? ›

“Milk is a different way of putting flavours into a drink that isn't a syrup or a ferment or a distillation but still gives you clean, surprising results,” says Darren. And how much milk? Traditional recipes use a 4:1 punch mixture to milk ratio and for the most part that works out well.

What is the clarification method for co*cktails? ›

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.

How do you mix milk and pineapple? ›

Tips for using pineapple and milk in the same recipe

First, heat or cook the pineapple beforehand to denature the bromelain. Since this enzyme is heat-sensitive, high temperatures may inactivate it, preventing it from breaking casein apart and curdling the milk ( 8 ).

Can you clarify pineapple juice? ›

For each 750ml of juice, you wish to clarify, boil 250g of water with 2g of agar agar powder - this means boil 33% of your juice to water ratio with 0.8% water to agar agar ratio. 4. Once the water and agar agar powder has come to a boil, mix well and transfer them into a container.

What is the ratio of milk to clarified co*cktails? ›

ALWAYS pour the co*cktail INTO the milk. The milk should be a minimum 3.5% in fat content. Any filtered or skimmed milk will not clarify the co*cktail. Ratio from co*cktail to milk parts is 4:1 (measure 4 parts co*cktail : 1 part milk)

What does milk do in clarified milk punch? ›

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.

How long does milk clarifying take? ›

Pour the milk into a glass pitcher and then follow with the tea mixture. (Yes, it will curdle.) Park on counter for 1 hour. Do not shake, stir or molest in any way.

Do you need to refrigerate clarified milk punch? ›

Clarified milk punch is exceptionally stable, but it should be kept in the fridge.

How long should milk punch sit before straining? ›

In a separate large mixing bowl, add the whole milk. Then pour the punch mixture into the milk and stir. The mixture will curdle. Let sit for about 30 minutes and strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheese cloth.

What is the co*cktail formula? ›

So what IS the co*cktail equation? Drum roll please…. These numbers represent the co*cktail ratio—or “parts” in bartending terms—of your ingredients. Two parts base spirit to one part sweet to one part sour.

What is the formula for the perfect co*cktail? ›

There's definitely a formula, My basic ratio for any co*cktail is usually 2 part of alcohol, to one of tart, to one part of sweet. The formula for achieving this balance is 2:1:1. That's basically 2 parts alcohol, 1-part sour, and 1-part sweet.

What is the process of clarifying juice? ›

Decantation: Decantation is the simplest method of clarification, in which the juice containing solids is allowed to settle down and then clear juice is decanted or siphoned out. Keep juice at low temperature for long periods also helps in setting of solid to allow clarification.

Can I mix pineapple juice with milk? ›

Drinking a mixture of pineapple juice and milk may result in an upset stomach for some people. This is because the combination of the acidic nature of pineapple juice and the dairy in milk can create a mixture that is difficult for the digestive system to process.

How is pineapple juice clarified? ›

In the present work, pineapple juice was first hydrolyzed with a commercial pectinase (Ultrazym 100 G) and then clarified by microfiltration. A tubular polyethersulfone membrane with an average cut-off of 0.3 µm and a total effective filtration area of 0.05 m2 was applied.

Does milk neutralize pineapple? ›

Serving pineapple in creamy dairy

These items have milk proteins that interact with this rather aggressive enzyme, neutralizing it in the process. This is one reason why fresh pineapple smoothies made with yogurt or ice cream don't have the same acidic mouthfeel as fresh pineapple juice.

How do you neutralize the acid in pineapple juice? ›

Various methods have been investigated to reduce the sour taste in pineapple juice. The most straightforward approach is amelioration, which involves adding sugar into the juice or juice dilution with water.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Last Updated:

Views: 5334

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Birthday: 1998-01-29

Address: Apt. 611 3357 Yong Plain, West Audra, IL 70053

Phone: +5819954278378

Job: Construction Director

Hobby: Embroidery, Creative writing, Shopping, Driving, Stand-up comedy, Coffee roasting, Scrapbooking

Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.