Narco Talks: A Clarified Milk Punch

Name: Narco Talks: A Clarified Milk Punch
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: José Medina Camacho , Adiõs , Birmingham, Alabama

Photo: Ivan Lara

July 17, 2026

A summery milk punch with spicy and smoky depth.

José Medina Camacho uses the clarified milk punch format to complement mezcal and celebrate summer flavors, including tomatillos, pineapples, and chiles. “That balance keeps the cocktail from feeling overly sweet, while the milk punch clarification technique creates a smooth texture that still allows each ingredient to shine,” Camacho says. “Every ingredient has a purpose.”

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. mezcal
1 oz. tomatillo-pineapple syrup
1 oz. milk
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur

Tools:blender, strainer, fine-mesh strainer
Glass:rocks
Garnish:tajín rim, pineapple slice

Preparation

Rim a glass with tajín and set aside. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend to combine. Fine-strain into the glass over ice. Garnish.
Tomatillo-Pineapple SyrupCombine 1 1/3 cup of cooked-down tepache, 2/3 cup of pineapple juice, 2 cups of agave nectar, and 2/3 cups of washed and peeled tomatillos in a bowl. Fine-strain into a container. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Cooked-Down TepacheSimmer 1 1/2 cup of tepache (can be storebought) over low to medium heat, only reducing by 10 percent; you don’t want to lose too much of it.