Milk and Seltzer

This first drink was inspired by a Punch piece.

While looking on their site for a mocktail for myself, I wound up finding mostly articles about nonalcoholic drinks, not recipes for them.

One write up mentioned a book I’d already had on my shelf, Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide. How soon we forget, right?

No joke. If I didn’t skip Thomas’ Temperance Drinks chapter altogether back when I was drinking, then I conducted one of my flight experiments, adding a different spirit to each of several pours.

This time around with his Milk and Seltzer, I decided to go by the book, kinda sorta.

Milk and Seltzer by Jerry Thomas

  • Milk
  • Seltzer

Equipment: bar spoon

I made two versions: one with canned unsweetened coconut milk (right), and the other with half ‘n’ half (left). Oh yeah, we like to drink our calories around here. Were they calories well-spent?

Me: An effervescent first sip, so it was refreshing from the start. But, the carbonation took away from the creaminess. Too much seltzer?

Guest Judge (GJ): I was suspicious from the start. No issue texture-wise, but the half ‘n’ half one left a lingering taste that the coconut version didn’t. Maybe a bit of sweetener or something would’ve won me over.

Another round? A monthly for me in late spring and during the summer for sure. None for GJ unless it’s a special occasion when no one likes a Downer Dan.