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Cocktail History
The Milk & Honey is a fall cocktail that was created by author Jassy Davis and was first published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. It was inspired by warm milk and its common prescription as a nightcap that encourages sleep. It was also named for its two main ingredients: whole milk and Bénédictine, a spiced French liqueur.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Milk: This is a liquid rich in calcium and protein that is produced by mammals. We used Prairie Farm Vitamin D Whole Milk. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try oat milk in place of the milk.
Bénédictine: This is a liqueur made in France with twenty-seven herbs and spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try homemade black tea, honey, and thyme syrup in place of the Bénédictine liqueur.
Orange Wedge: This is an orange slice that has been cut into a wedge shape.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. We used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.
Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.
Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Tasting Notes
The Milk & Honey features aromas of cinnamon, orange, and the liqueur’s peculiar herbal mix, and it has a taste comprised of rich milk that is sweetened with the Benedictine’s honey and packed with complex herbal flavors that linger long after the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Even though it’s a fairly simple one, we both thought the Milk & Honey had a lot of delicious complexity; it’s the perfect nightcap for a crisp evening.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Although it’s barely a cocktail, in my opinion, this drink is very tasty. The pairing of milk with Bénédictine’s herbal qualities are delicious, and though it has no actual honey in it, the taste is slightly reminiscent of the sweetener. This is definitely a good drink to have before bed or when you’re feeling under the weather.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I did not know what to expect of this simple hot drink, but it was surprisingly good! I never would’ve thought to pair hot milk with Bénédictine, but the combination works. It’s meant to be a play on the hot milk that’s often prescribed to help put you to sleep, and that’s exactly how I would describe it too—warm, sweet, and soothing. I can’t really stomach whole milk anymore though, so I’d make it with skim or oat milk instead and would consider dressing it up with some brandy or peppermint for more complexity.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
Add milk to a saucepan.
Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes until warmed through.
Add liqueur to pan and stir for 10-15 seconds.
Pour mixture into mug.
Garnish with orange wedge and cinnamon stick.
Ingredients
Directions
Add milk to a saucepan.
Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes until warmed through.
Add liqueur to pan and stir for 10-15 seconds.
Pour mixture into mug.
Garnish with orange wedge and cinnamon stick.
Make It a Mocktail: Use homemade black tea, honey, and thyme syrup in place of the Bénédictine liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Autumn Cocktails
If you like this autumn-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that are similar that you may enjoy:
Thanksgiving Nog: A dark rum cocktail made with water, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground mace, whipped cream, and a cinnamon stick
Pumpkin Spiced Russian: A vodka cocktail made with coffee liqueur, milk, caramel sauce, pumpkin spice syrup, and a cinnamon stick
Filibuster: A rye cocktail made with lemon juice, maple syrup, egg white, and Angostura aromatic bitters
Pumpkin Cider: An apple brandy and rum cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin cubes, butter, sugar, whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and grated nutmeg
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