Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch - A Closer Look - Essay

"...Benjamin Franklin’s 1763 mention of his milk punch recipe..."  Image by Alison Gootee


Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch - A Closer Look

"Garden and Gun" magazine posted a recipe for “Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch,” which brought memories of my parents' Sunday lunch soirees.  Their friends arrived mid-day, and downed potent Bloody Mary's, Old Fashioned's and Milk Punch's, this last a blend of milk and Bourbon topped with nutmeg.  In its more decadent version, the Milk Punch included brandy.

The magazine's image, by Alison Gootee, inspired me to look into the history of the Milk Punch.  Warren Bobrow writing for “The Alcohol Professor” said the bourbon milk punch dates back to the pre-colonial era of Benjamin Franklin.  New Orleans writer Ned Hémard locates the drink in an 1862 bartenders’ manual, and notes Benjamin Franklin’s 1763 mention of his milk punch recipe in correspondence.

Like many things in New Orleans, the milk punch can actually be traced back to Ireland.  There exists a 1405 historical record of whiskey mixed with milk, sugar, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.   Centuries later Queen Victoria would enjoy the drink, but it was probably perfected by New Orleans bartenders.

Bourbon House Recipe - Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch - Ingredients: 4 cups vanilla ice cream, 1 cup Old Forester bourbon, ½ tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. simple syrup. Blend ingredients. Top with grated nutmeg.

Drink recipe is from Bourbon House in New Orleans. www.bourbonhouse.com
Image: Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch by Alison Gootee

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