This Charlottesville bar offers zero-waste cocktails from garden to glass. Here’s a recipe for Birch & Bloom’s Milk Punch
Kimpton The Forum Hotel, Charlottesville
Recipe courtesy of Daniel Beedle, chief mixologist and assistant food and beverage director
3 cups water
30 grams green cardamom pods (cracked)
40 grams cinnamon sticks
120 grams peeled ginger (thinly sliced)
3 Earl Grey tea bags
50 grams lemon peels
600 grams sugar
2 liters overproof rum (e.g., Smith & Cross)
3 cups fresh lemon juice
3 cups fresh pineapple juice
7 cups whole milk
In a large pot, combine water, green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and ginger. Boil for 5 minutes, covered. Remove from heat.
Add Earl Grey tea bags and lemon peels to the pot. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
Stir in 2 liters of overproof rum into the chilled mixture. Allow to sit for a day or two to fully absorb the flavors.
When ready to make the punch, add 2 cups of fresh lemon juice and 3 cups of fresh pineapple juice to the rum mixture. In a separate large pot, combine 1 cup of fresh lemon juice with 7 cups of whole milk. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 3 hours to form curds.
Bring the milk and lemon juice mixture to a boil and hard boil for about 10 minutes. After boiling, combine with the punch and booze mixture. Gently mix with a few swirls. Refrigerate overnight.
Line a strainer with a coffee filter and let the mixture drip slowly into a clean container.
The Milk Punch can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
Serve the Milk Punch over ice.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
