Chamomile Bourbon Milk Punch

Photo: Erin Scott

August 26, 2024

Clarified coconut milk lends a rich and creamy texture to this vegan milk punch.

In his book Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Eating, Joe Yonan shines a light on the variety of plant-based cuisine around the world through recipes from vegan food writers. One such writer, Peruvian journalist and chef Nico Vera, created a chamomile bourbon milk punch recipe using coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, giving the cocktail a rich and creamy mouthfeel. “Begin preparing the punch a day in advance and allot an hour or two for filtering; it might seem slow going, but it’s worth the wait,” Yonan writes.

Ingredients

Yield:2 cups (6 servings)

3⁄4 cup bourbon
3⁄4 cup water
1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice, strained
1⁄2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, at room temperature
1⁄3 cup organic cane sugar
2 bags chamomile tea
Large ice cubes

Tools:small saucepan, tall sealable jar, large fine-mesh sieve or nut-milk bag, large mixing bowl
Garnish:6 strips lime peel

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 8 minutes. Remove and compost the tea bags. Bring the liquid to a simmer, add the sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool for at least 1 hour before using. (At this point, if you want to make the drinks later, you can refrigerate the syrup for up to 1 week in a sealed container.)

In a tall sealable jar, combine the bourbon, chamomile tea syrup, lime juice, and coconut milk. Seal the jar and refrigerate overnight, about 9 hours. The coconut milk will curdle into small pieces and float to the top. Line a large fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag and set it over a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour all of the refrigerated mixture through the sieve and let it drip through. (Don’t press or squeeze.) Let the solid coconut milk curds collect in the sieve; they help with the filtering process. Strain the filtered liquid two more times. Allot 1 to 2 hours for the filtering process. The result should be a slightly opaque concoction with a hint of color from the chamomile tea. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To serve, pour 2 to 3 fluid ounces of the milk punch into a glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an expressed lime peel.