At Mister Paradise, bartender Will Wyatt opts for a heatless technique akin to the first milk punches of the 18th century, allowing milk and lime juice to interact until the mixture curdles on its own, then straining out the curds. He adds this to a reduced Coca-Cola syrup and Ceylon tea in the rum-based Sex Panther, a complex twist on Cuba Libre that Wyatt describes as still possessing “the same heart and soul” of the original.
Sex Panther
Will Wyatt, Mister Paradise | New York
Ingredients
Servings: 6-8
- 2 cups Panamanian rum, preferably Marti Plata
- 3 1/4 cups unaged rum, preferably Banks 5 Island Rum
- 1 quart Mexican Coca-Cola
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon ceylon tea
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups lemon juice
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
Garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Add Coca-Cola to a sauce pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add sugar and tea. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved and let cool.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the milk with the lemon juice and stir. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow milk to curdle.
- Add remaining ingredients, including the reduced cola mixture, to the bowl with the curdled milk.
- Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel or apron (making sure the full interior is covered) and place over stock pot.
- Pour entire mixture over the lined colander. Continue passing through strainer (keeping milk curds on the inside of the strainer) until the strained liquid begin to come out clear.
- Transfer strainer to clean stock pot and allow to strain overnight.
- Serve in a highball glass over ice and top with soda.
- Garnish with an expressed lemon twist.