Clarified Last Word Punch
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This was my first time clarifying a cocktail and I have to say I’m blown away with this process! some of you may be very confused or even disgusted by clarifying a cocktail with milk, but trust me, it’s not what you think. If you’re looking to try, nothing could be easier than this Clarified Last Word Punch. It’s great for a small gathering when you want to serve something classy and special.
How to Make a Clarified Last Word Cocktail
- Add equal parts lime juice, gin, Maraschino liqueur (like Luxardo), and green Chartreuse into a cocktail shaker with ice or stir in a jar with ice. This step adds dilution.
- Strain it into a tall jar and add 6 oz. of milk.
- Stir gently to curdle and let sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes if in a hurry or just let sit overnight.
- Strain through a fine mesh into a coffee filter, cheese cloth, or paper towel to collect milk curds and strain again.
What is a Clarified Cocktail?
Clarifying a cocktail is a method of stripping it of overpowering or astringent, bitter flavors as well as any grittiness or imperfect textures. Cocktails can be clarified with milk, agar agar, or a centrifuge. I obviously didn’t have those last two, so I used milk. When you add milk to the ingredients in a Last Word Cocktail, the proteins in the milk bind to the polyphenols and other molecules in them responsible for their strong, bitter, or astringent flavor. It also strips it of its color, making it a smooth, clear cocktail when all’s said and done. The classic Last Word cocktail has a lot going on in the flavor department, so it’s the perfect candidate for clarifying as a way to calm everything down.
Clarified Last Word Ingredients
Gin
Gin comes in many different forms and each bottle has its own level of botanicals. Check out my Gin Guide for bottle recommendations and the in-depth gin-formation you need for mixing your favorite gin cocktails like a Clarified Last Word Punch.
Maraschino Liqueur
The Original Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur is made with Luxardo’s own marasca cherries that are infused in wood vats with cherry tree branches and leaves for three years. It’s diluted with a simple syrup to bring it to an ABV of 32%. The final nutty cherry flavor of this surprisingly clear liquid has notes of chocolate, vanilla, and orange.
Green Chartreuse
Green Chartreuse also has a rich history dating back to 1840. It’s made my French monks who use the same recipe of 130 different plants for a botanical, herbaceous liqueur. It’s often paired with gin.
Lime Juice
If it’s not fresh, we don’t want it!
Milk
I recommend using whole or 2% milk for clarifying your cocktails. The proteins in cow’s milk binds to the astringent or bitter molecules in alcohol to give it a clear, smooth flavor when clarified by skimming off the curdles.
Tips for Making the Best Clarified Last Word Punch
- When straining out the milk curds, only using a fine mesh sieve won’t quite do the trick. It’s important to use cheese cloth, a coffee filter, or a paper towels to make sure you get all the little bits out. Otherwise, you’ve sort of defeated the purpose of clarifying.
- Be patient and strain your cocktail twice!
- Use cold ingredients. You can let your ingredients sit in the fridge while the milk separates into curds so it doesn’t come to room temperature. Use gin and liqueurs straight from the freezer.
- Don’t buy a cheap cherry liqueur, it will taste like sweet cough syrup and, trust me, no one wants that. You’ll go through a bottle of the good stuff with no problem and you’ll definitely taste the difference. Luxardo really does it best.
Why You’ll Love a Clarified Last Word Punch
- Clarified cocktails are perfect for people who aren’t really cocktail people because they don’t like the taste of alcohol. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it works!
- If you want a super smooth drinking experience, this Clarified Last Word Punch will deliver.
- Because it’s clarified, this Last Word Punch is a little smoother and mellowed out, so guests with all different tastes will love it!
Clarified Last Word Variations
- Of course, you have to try the classic Last Word Cocktail.
- For a fun Halloween riff with spooky garnishes, try my Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Don’t Say the Last Word cocktail.
- For more clarifying techniques, try the Clarified New York Sour.
- Swap the gin for mezcal or whiskey if that’s more your vibe.
- For a cocktail with similar vibes for the bourbon crowd, try a Classic Paper Plane.
Clarified Last Word Punch
Ingredients
- 4 oz. gin
- 4 oz. Maraschino liqueur
- 4 oz. green Chartreuse
- 4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 6 oz. milk (whole or 2%)
Instructions
- Add equal parts lime juice, gin, Maraschino liqueur (like Luxardo), and green Chartreuse into a cocktail shaker with ice or stir in a jar with ice.
- Strain it into a tall jar and add 6 oz. of milk.
- Stir gently to curdle and let sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes if in a hurry or just let sit overnight.
- Strain through a fine mesh into a coffee filter, cheese cloth, or paper towel to collect milk curds and strain again.
You Might Also Like
This looks dreamy! The Last Word is my favorite cocktail. I’m curious how the clarification process changes/improves the drink. Since I assume I will loose a little precious green chartreuse (+ other liquors in the process), I want to know it’s for a good reason. Thanks
Okay, yes I absolutely hear you on not wasting our precious chartreuse! So, the clarification is a really cool process to make a shelf stable cocktail. So you’d make this and literally it will stay good for 6 months… crazy! There’s a cool history about it too and why this started, way back when there were no fridges to help keep our food. So outside of that, let’s talk taste. Clarifying actually create a clear liquid but a rich, velvety mouthfeel. So it doesnt take the flavor away rather rounds it, it’s like of that alcohol bite and more of a velvety consistency that feel very smooth. Does that make sense?
Hi there! Tip for dilution, shaking/stirring a cocktail can dilute a cocktail by 30%-35%- regardless of how it’s served. You can use that percentage to calculate how much dilution you could add if you didn’t want to shake it. Love @likeablecocktails & @thirstywhale_ too, thanks for the recipe!