Christmas Morning Milk Punch Is One Of My Favorite Family Traditions
An unexpected hero of the holiday menu, milk punch is eggnog's lighter cousin. It's the perfect way to kick off Christmas Day.
Drinking the Southern version of milk punch on Christmas morning is a treasured and respected tradition in my family. It is the first sign that Santa came and the first of many "Cheers!" of the day. We start drinking it right after coffee, and it holds us over until Dad's pork tenderloin biscuits come off the grill.
Which beverage says Christmas morning to you and your family? Maybe you are rolling with a thoughtfully made French press, spiked with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topping off any hot beverage on Christmas day with homemade whipped cream seems to make it special. Any which way you tend to lean, there's a way to celebrate by lifting a glass (or mug).
A Family Tradition Of Milk Punch
This cocktail of whole milk, Brandy, confectioners sugar, and nutmeg goes a long way in spreading joy on Christmas morning in my family. That is, unless you are my brother-in-law who used flour instead of confectioners sugar in his first year as a Spottswood family member. He did not spread holiday cheer. Instead, he was demoted and deemed the coffee guy.
This liquid holiday treat needs to be served ice cold. It's just a bit less rich than eggnog, but still feels like ice cream on the rocks. If you can't indulge during the holidays, when can you? To me, milk punch is more than just a sweet, boozy treat. It serves some critical purposes as the day goes on.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
The Necessity Of Milk Punch
Milk punch is a fuel for gift opening, and it helps me maintain a merry facial expression as I open presents for which I simply cannot find words. We all know the ones—the thoughtful gifts you are genuinely delighted about, the Spode Christmas china that you won’t use for many years to come, and the “how can I maneuver returning this without asking for a return label?” ones. Whatever it is, the milk punch is there, adjusting my responses to make it seem like I have won the lottery with each unwrapping.
It's also a cool refreshment, which is helpful when you live in Point Clear, Alabama, and your family insists on a fire for ambiance, despite the 85-degree temperature and humidity. It’s versatile and satisfying as I can enjoy each sip both inside and outdoors.
Most importantly, my beloved milk punch smooths over those unwelcome, yet inevitable, conversations—like peculiar (but cherished) cousin Johnny’s new significant other that he may or may not bring to the Bay for the Fourth of July.
Milk punch might not be for everyone, but it's for us.
The Other Milk Punch
Our milk punch tradition has been in my family for as long as I can remember, but the origins are based in the era of the Pilgrim. It is thought that the beverage first emerged in the 1600s, reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1700s through mid-1800s. Aphra Behn, a 17th-century English writer, mentioned the punch in one of her plays. She is thought to be the one who brought heavy attention to it. Many famous people of this period were known to be fond of this smooth-tasting libation.
Because it was a bottled drink with a long shelf life, milk punch was very much in demand and reached the height of favor in the middle of the 18th century. Part of the drink’s appeal was the fact that it could be made with any spirit, juice or tea. Queen Victoria loved the beverage so much that she employed a special company to supply the royal family with the drink.
A Milk Punch Revival
In 1711, housewife Mary Rockett recorded the earliest-known clarified milk punch recipe. This is the original milk punch: Add two gallons of hot milk to a gallon of brandy, five quarts of water, eight lemons, and two pounds of sugar. Let the mixture sit for an hour, then strain it through a flannel bag. The result? A clear, silky-smooth, shelf-stable elixir that lasted for months. No refrigerator necessary.
The secret to clarified milk punch is the curdling, which makes it possible to strain out dairy solids through a cheesecloth or fine mesh until the beverage is clear. Since this can take hours, clarified milk punch can’t be made to order. But the process is cheap, requires little equipment, and makes milk punch nonperishable (for years, potentially, if kept cool), so bartenders often prepare large quantities of it. These qualities have inspired a clarified milk punch revival.
Bartenders craft milky punches from all sorts of ingredients, because the straining process makes unusual infusions smooth and subtle. From what I understand, a proper clarified milk punch takes a long time—around two days with numerous procedural steps—to make, so if you're not committed, abandon hope now. It is a labor of love, labor being the keyword. That said, the reward for putting in the work to craft clarified milk punch sounds as if it must be worth it!
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