Which milk to use for milk wine

The milk in milk wine is a clarifying agent. When it meets the citrus acid and alcohol, its main protein, casein, clumps into curds. As the curds form and settle, they trap fine particles and some harsh compounds. Straining removes the curds and leaves a clear, smooth liquid.

Firm, well-formed curds filter best. They build a bed in the straining cloth that catches even fine particles, so the liquid runs clear. Weak, loose curds break up and pass through, leaving a haze.

The fat in milk also plays a part, carrying some flavour compounds away with the curds and contributing to the silky texture of the finished drink.

Full-cream cow's milk is the standard choice. It forms firm curds that filter well and give a clear, smooth milk wine. Most Sri Lankan families today use packaged pasteurised full-cream milk from the supermarket.

Older recipes call for fresh milk from a local dairy, boiled before use. Fresh milk works well but should be brought to the boil for safety and to help the curdling.

UHT full-cream milk, sold in cartons, also works. Some cooks find it curdles slightly differently, but the result is usually good.

In Sri Lanka, fresh milk is sold in supermarkets and by local dairies, and full-cream packaged milk is easy to find in Colombo and other towns. Check the date and keep it cool until use, as milk that has started to sour will curdle unevenly before it reaches the pot.

Low-fat and skimmed milks contain the same proteins but less fat, and in practice they often form weaker, finer curds. The result can be a milk wine that stays hazy even after careful straining.

Some cooks report acceptable results with semi-skimmed milk, especially if they strain through paper filters. Skimmed milk is not recommended.

If you must use low-fat milk, allow longer resting before straining so the curds can firm up, and strain very slowly.

Powdered milk is widely used in Sri Lankan households for tea and cooking, and some cooks use it for milk wine when fresh milk is not available. Results vary.

If using powdered milk, reconstitute it richly, with a little more powder than the packet suggests, and heat it to boiling before adding. Full-cream powder is better than skimmed.

Many cooks find powdered milk gives a slightly less clear and less smooth milk wine, so it is a fallback rather than a first choice.

Coconut milk is used in much Sri Lankan cooking, but it does not work for milk wine. It lacks casein, the protein that forms curds, so it does not clarify the drink. Adding it would leave a cloudy, oily mixture.

Plant milks such as soy, almond or oat milk do not clarify milk wine in the same way. Some modern bartenders use alternative clarifying agents for vegan milk punch, but these are not part of the Sri Lankan tradition.

Milk wine is therefore not suitable for vegans or anyone with a milk allergy, because some milk components remain after straining.

Recipes use roughly 500 to 750 ml of milk per 750 ml bottle of spirit. More milk gives a softer, gentler milk wine; less gives a stronger, sharper one.

The milk should be brought to the boil and poured into the spirit mixture while hot. It curdles at once. Some recipes pour the spirit mixture into the milk instead, but the result is similar.

Lankan Stays & Trails can point December travellers to cooking experiences in Colombo where milk wine and Christmas sweets are made, a chance to see the curdling for yourself.