Black tea, summer honey and sea buckthorn

The principle of clarified rum punch, of British origin, dates back several hundred years, and it has been enjoyed and popularized by several well-known figures over the years. Among these are Benjamin Franklin, who, in a letter written in 1763 after returning from a long stay in England, delivered his own version of the recipe. This recipe is still in circulation today.

One of the methods for achieving the clarified result involves filtering a preparation made from alcohol, spices, sugar, acidity, and bitterness through curdled milk. The casein (milk protein) will remove the colour and tannins from the preparation, giving it a sweet and velvety taste as well as a surprising clarity. This method is the one that we propose here, in a recipe where sea buckthorn and summer honey add an elegant local touch.

Servings

6 to 8 glasses

Preparation time

1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup Earl Grey loose-leaf black tea
• ½ cup summer honey
• 1 ½ cups La Pinte 3.8% milk (or any other milk with a high fat content)
• ¾ cup sea buckthorn juice or ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 cup Rosemont white rum
• ½ cup Distillerie Noroi orange liqueur

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the black tea and let steep for 10 minutes, then strain the preparation through a sieve to remove the tea. Dissolve the honey in the hot tea, then set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the milk to a simmer, then add the sea buckthorn or lemon juice. Stir gently until the milk curdles.
3. Remove from heat, then let cool. In a bowl, mix the rum, orange liqueur, and cooled tea and honey mixture.
4. Add the rum mixture to the curdled milk mixture.
5. Place a sieve fitted with a filter bag or three-ply cheesecloth over a large, deep bowl (so that the liquid does not touch the filter).
6. Filter the mixture for a first time. Once the liquid is completely filtered, pass the mixture through the sieve a second time, keeping the same filter and the small curds.
7. Repeat the filtration step until the liquid is completely translucent.
8. Transfer to a pitcher or large bottle, then refrigerate. Serve cold, over ice.

Note: To obtain sea buckthorn juice, blend 1 part water with 4 parts sea buckthorn berries in a blender, then filter the preparation. The rum punch can be kept for up to 30 days in the refrigerator.