Benjamin Franklin’s Milk Punch,Since the Middle Ages a popular cocktail was posset, a mixture

Benjamin Franklin’s Milk Punch,Since the Middle Ages a popular cocktail was posset, a mixture of milk and either wine or ale.  The milk was heated, and once brought to a boil wine or ale was added.  The alcohol caused the milk curdle, which was strained out of the mixture leaving a white foamy froth or mousse.  The cocktail was then spiced and usually served warm.The tradition of drinking posset continued in Britain where it was passed to our colonial ancestors in America.  In the colonies, rather than wine or ale other beverages such as brandy, whisky, or rum were used.  One famous American who enjoyed the beverage was Ben Franklin, who made a milk punch using brandy, lemon, nutmeg, and sugar.  A favorite of Franklin, he often served the punch at his many parties and social events which he hosted.  On October 11th, 1763 he wrote to his friend James Bowdoin enclosing his personal recipe from milk punch (pictured above).To make milk punchTake 6 quarts of Brandy, and the Rinds of 44 Lemons pared very thin; Steep the Rinds in the Brandy 24 hours; then strain it off. Put to it 4 Quarts of Water, 4 large Nutmegs grated, 2 quarts of Lemon Juice, 2 pound of double refined Sugar. When the Sugar is dissolv’d, boil 3 Quarts of Milk and put to the rest hot as you take it off the Fire, and stir it about. Let it stand two Hours; then run it thro’ a Jelly-bag till it is clear; then bottle it off.Recently the award winning chef Jose Andres (famous for bringing Spanish tapas dining to the US) discovered the recipe and serves it as one of his signature drinks at his restaurant, “America Eats Tavern” in Washington DC. His head bartender, Ben Wiley, has created a slightly modified though more modern variation of the cocktail,For 4 to 4.5 quarts6 cups mid-priced brandy11 lemons, peels only4 cups spring water1 nutmeg, freshly grated2 cups fresh lemon juice1 cup sugar3 cups whole milkIn a large airtight lidded container, combine the brandy and lemon peels. Cover and steep for 24 hours. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the peels from the brandy and discard them. Add the water, nutmeg, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves.In a pan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk to a boil. Immediately add the milk to the brandy mixture and stir. Let stand uncovered for 2 hours–the mixture will curdle as it sits. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter, a clean pillowcase, or a jelly bag if you have one (this may take several hours). Before discarding the curds, squeeze them to extract as much liquid as possible. Use a funnel to transfer the punch to bottles. Before serving, lightly whisk the punch and sprinkle each glass with fresh nutmeg. -- source link

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