Cat's Cradle

Ingredients

• 4 whole cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
• Peel of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup strong brewed chai tea
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 1.5 cups whiskey
• ¼ ounce bitters
• 1 cup milk
• Large ice cubes

Equipment

• 2 Rocks or Old-Fashioned glasses

Instructions

1. In a small skillet, toast the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, star anise, and coriander seeds over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon peels, sugar, and toasted spices. Muddle the ingredients together for about 30 seconds to release oils from the lemon peels. Add the lemon juice, tea, pineapple juice, whiskey, and bitters. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour to infuse flavors.
3. After the hour-long infusion, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat and pour into a separate medium bowl. Gently pour the whiskey mixture into the hot milk while stirring. The milk will curdle immediately. Allow the punch to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
4. Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter over a clean container. Very slowly pour the curdled liquid into the strainer. A nest of curds will form at the bottom of the strainer; try not to disturb these. Straining may take several hours. Once the punch has fully drained, add the large cubes to two rocks glasses. Pour about 4 ounces of the punch evenly between the two glasses.