Clarified Cherry Custard cocktail

Alice’s adventures in Wonderland begin in pursuit of the White Rabbit and down the rabbit hole. From there, she savours and samples various foods in Wonderland, while simultaneously growing and shrinking with each new treat.

In honour of Lewis Carroll’s whimsical and non-sensical story, let us journey to Wonderland for a culinary adventure and a delightful feast. Together, we will explore the cakes Alice tasted, both sweet and savoury, the intriguing mushroom of the Caterpillar’s forest home, the mysterious stolen tarts of the King and Queen of Hearts, and more! So let’s begin.

"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Chapter 12: Alice's Evidence)

Drink Me

When Alice arrives at the bottom of the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a tiny room with a key and a bottle of liquid on a table with the invitation of “Drink Me” attached to the bottle. Alice has caught a glimpse of a beautiful garden through the keyhole and is intent on finding a way to fit through the tiny door. She drinks the contents of the bottle which causes her to shrink small enough to fit into the door.

"...the bottle was not marked 'poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off."
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Infused with the flavours of sweet cherries and rich custard, this clarified cocktail is a whimsical, fruity delight. The cherry notes are brought out with a sweet cherry simple syrup and a dash of cherry brandy, while the vanilla vodka and Licor 43, a vanilla and citrus infused liqueur, add a subtle custard flavour.

Clarifying, or milk washing, the cocktail mellows the flavour and creates a slightly creamy texture to emulate the flavours and textures of vanilla custard. A powdered cherry rim adds a final tangy flourish to this dessert-like cocktail. This enchanting elixir won’t shrink you down but it will delight your tastebuds!

The Technique

When it comes to making clarified milk punch it really is all about the technique. How you mix the punch and how you strain it are important to achieving that crystal clear finish. What is most important is how you add your milk. Make sure to premix the cocktail and pour it directly into the milk, rapidly stirring it together. This will ensure that the impurities in the cocktail come into contact with the milk proteins before it curdles. If you were to pour the milk into the cocktail it would curdle instantly. Any of the impurities not in contact with the milk will not have had a chance to bind with the milk proteins before curdling. This results in a more cloudy finish.

Now that the mixture has curdled, it’s time to strain it. There’s no way to get around it – straining clarified milk punch takes a while. You will need to strain it at least twice and preferably through a coffee filter. To make the task quicker, I divide the mixture between 3 or 4 coffee filters. The first straining will yield a fairly clear liquid but it will still be a bit cloudy. For the second straining you will actually pour the strained liquid through the used coffee filter from the first straining. The curds in the filter will actually filter out even more of the impurities.

Cherries: You can use either fresh or frozen sweet cherries to make the simple syrup for this recipe.

Freeze dried cherries: Powdered freeze dried cherries blended with sugar is used to make the rim garnish for this drink. While it is optional, the rim certainly enhances the drink. Freeze dried cherries can be found online here and here. I highly recommend making the powdered rim just before serving – the moisture from the sugar will eventually make the powder clumpy and less able to stick to the glass.

Vanilla vodka: You can either use commercial vanilla vodka or make your own. To make your own vanilla vodka, add 2 to 3 split vanilla beans to a 375 ml bottle of vodka. Let steep for at least 5 to 7 days. Remove the beans after 2 weeks to prevent them from breaking down.

Cherry brandy: Cherry brandy adds even more cherry flavour to this cocktail.

Licor 43: This Spanish liqueur has a subtle vanilla and citrus flavour with floral notes.

Lemon juice: The acid from the lemon juice is essential for the clarification process.

Make the cherry simple syrup

Combine the cherries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Just as soon as the syrup comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low and let cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the cherries are soft. Use a potato masher to carefully mash the cherries. Remove from the heat.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer, gently pressing on the cherries with a spatula to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the cherries. The syrup will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Make the powdered cherry rim

Blend the freeze dried cherries in a high speed blender until powdery. Sift out any large pieces. Combine the cherry powder with the sugar and set aside. While you could powder the cherries ahead of time, be sure to add the sugar just before serving to avoid clumping.

Blend the cocktail

In a container, combine the vanilla vodka, cherry brandy, Licor 43, cherry simple syrup, and lemon juice. Stir together.

Add the milk to a second container. Quickly pour the blended cocktail into the milk and immediately stir together. The mixture will begin to curdle and separate. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes before straining. Do not stir again.

Strain the clarified cocktail

Set a coffee filter over container. You can use either one large filter or 2 or 3 smaller ones. Carefully fill the filter with the curdled mixture and allow to naturally drain. When the liquid has completely drained through the filter, transfer the filter over to a second container. Gently pour the filtered liquid back through the same filter trying not to disturb the curds too much.

Allow the milk punch to completely drain through the filter. It should be light in colour and crystal clear. The second straining will take much longer than the first – this is normal. Transfer the clarified liquid to a clean pitcher and refrigerate until cold.

Serve the Clarified Cherry Custard Cocktail

To prepare the glass, run a piece of lemon two third’s around a coupe or Nick and Nora glass. Sprinkle the edge with some of the powdered cherry sugar, shaking off the excess. Add the chilled clarified cherry custard cocktail to the glass and enjoy!