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Black Tea–Port Milk Punch

By Dan Souza

Published on December 4, 2016

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes about 4 cups)

Black Tea–Port Milk Punch

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk 2 cups brewed black tea ⅔ cup Batavia arrack ⅔ cup ruby port ⅓ cup plus 4 teaspoons (3 ounces) sugar ⅓ cup lemon juice

Before You Begin

Don’t worry about using particularly high-end tea for this recipe. Subtleties will be lost to the other punch ingredients as well as the clarification process. Batavia Arrack is a classic punch liquor fermented from sugarcane and a small amount of rice. It is far funkier than most rums, but if you can’t find it, rum can be substituted. The best coffee filter for the job is a large basket-style filter. As the tea-milk mixture is draining, don’t push or press the liquid through the filter—let it slowly drain through and you’ll get the clearest punch possible. Milk punch can be refrigerated for up to one month. 

Instructions

  1. Place milk in 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large pitcher; set aside. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or large bowl, whisk tea, Batavia Arrack, port, sugar, and lemon juice until sugar dissolves.
  2. Pour tea 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.
  3. Line fine-mesh strainer with triple layer of cheesecloth or coffee filter and set over large measuring cup or bowl. Gently pour tea-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.
Black Tea–Port Milk Punch
Photography by Kevin White.

Black Tea–Port Milk Punch

Save

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes about 4 cups)

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 cups brewed black tea
⅔ cup Batavia arrack
⅔ cup ruby port
⅓ cup plus 4 teaspoons (3 ounces) sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 cups brewed black tea
⅔ cup Batavia arrack
⅔ cup ruby port
⅓ cup plus 4 teaspoons (3 ounces) sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 cups brewed black tea
⅔ cup Batavia arrack
⅔ cup ruby port
⅓ cup plus 4 teaspoons (3 ounces) sugar
⅓ cup lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is adapted from Ruby Punch, a recipe that cocktail historian David Wondrich found in Jerry Thomas’s Bar-Tenders Guide from 1862 (but can trace back even further) and which he describes as “a plush and seductive punch that practically drinks itself”. He’s not wrong. It features a seriously tasty combination of black tea, ruby port, lemon, and a funky rum-esque liquor called Batavia Arrack. In its original form (not clarified with milk) the tannins from the black tea and port provide grip and add texture, not to mention deep, inky color. After clarifying with milk the result is full bodied, but silky smooth with a rosé-like color and fruitiness.

Before You Begin

Don’t worry about using particularly high-end tea for this recipe. Subtleties will be lost to the other punch ingredients as well as the clarification process. Batavia Arrack is a classic punch liquor fermented from sugarcane and a small amount of rice. It is far funkier than most rums, but if you can’t find it, rum can be substituted. The best coffee filter for the job is a large basket-style filter. As the tea-milk mixture is draining, don’t push or press the liquid through the filter—let it slowly drain through and you’ll get the clearest punch possible. Milk punch can be refrigerated for up to one month. 

Instructions

  1. Place milk in 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large pitcher; set aside. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or large bowl, whisk tea, Batavia Arrack, port, sugar, and lemon juice until sugar dissolves.
  2. Pour tea 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.
  3. Line fine-mesh strainer with triple layer of cheesecloth or coffee filter and set over large measuring cup or bowl. Gently pour tea-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.

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