The fascination modern drinkers have with milk punch cannot be overstated. The clarification technique has existed for centuries, but today it’s an obligatory feature of just about every cocktail menu—and sometimes, the entire menu. What began as a practical solution to create a shelf-stable drink before the advent of refrigeration has morphed into an arms race to turn even the most unlikely drinks—from Espresso Martini to Miami Vice—crystal clear. Here at Punch, we’ve covered the ever-expanding world of clarified cocktails, including what, exactly, goes into making the “psychedelic” clarified buttermilk punch at Lisbon’s Red Frog Speakeasy, how milk punch lost its mind and how to level up your milk punch at home. But contrary to the pervasiveness of the elaborate, multiday projects that make it onto cocktail menus in the wild, milk punch doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are three easy recipes to get started.
