It’s Happy Hour—Thanksgiving edition! Temporarily back from our hiatus, we’re talking turkey, olive loaf charcuterie boards, and how to keep the kids away from the spiked punch. Oh, and Thanksgiving cocktails.

Ben is presenting a clarified milk punch called the White Picket Fence. It’s spiced bourbon and toasted milk (yes, toasted milk!) clarified without the tang. The recipe is heavily inspired by this cocktail from Kevin Kos: https://www.kevinkos.com/post/revolutionary-milk-washing-technique.

Matthewis presenting Autumn’s Kiss. It’s a “simple” brandy sour full of fall flavors with a hint of absinthe. It tastes like apple pie. The cocktail, not the kiss.

*No bald eagles were harmed during the recording of this podcast

• (00:00) Opening
• (05:34) Matthew’s perfect charcuterie
• (10:01) Ben’s secret appetizer recipe. It’s not good.
• (13:00) Thanksgiving foods we love and love to hate
• (18:00) Thanksgiving Cocktails: Spritz, Batch or Burn Baby, Burn
• (25:00) Cocktail: White Picket Fence
• (39:30) Cocktail: Autumn’s Kiss
• (46:31) Closing

• 3 oz Spiced Whiskey Milk Punch
• 2-4 oz Sparkling Cider
• 0-2 oz Club Soda
• Pour the milk punch into a highball glass over ice. Top with sparkling cider. For a less sweet cocktail, replace a portion of the cider with club soda.

Spiced Whiskey Milk Punch

• 8 oz Spiced Whiskey
• 3 oz Toasted Powered Milk
• 1 oz Maple Syrup
• pinch of salt

1. Combine the spiced whiskey, maple syrup, and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Toast powdered milk in a pan on the stove, in the oven, or in a toaster oven. Monitor closely as it can burn quickly. Some light browning on the edges and surface is expected, but do not scorch.
3. Boil enough water to rehydrate the milk, then use the hot water to make the milk according to the package instructions.
4. While the milk is still hot, measure 3 oz into a large container, then pourthe whiskey mixture into the milk. You should see curdling happen immediately. Stir gently to help it along.
5. Let the mixture sit for a minute or two, then filter through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Once some curds have collected in the filter, move the filter to a new container and re-strain the first portion of the final product.

Spiced Whiskey

• 750 ml of Whiskey of you choice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 star anise pod
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 cracked nutmeg
• Combine whiskey and spices in a sealed bottle or jar. Let sit for 24 hours to 3 days, tasting every 24 hours. Remove spices when desired.

• 2 oz Brandy or Cognac
• 3/4 oz Allspice Dram
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1 Dash Cardamom Bitters
• 1 Dash Orange Bitters
• Absinthe for rinse
• Start by preparing a coupe glass: coat the inside with absinthe and discard any excess. Add the remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Double strain into the prepared coupe glass and garnish with a star anise.

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We own and recommend these books:

The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails with Just Twelve Bottles by David Solmonson, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson