Milk has always been both sacred and practical. Ancient Vedic hymns celebrated cows as mothers, their milk a river of nourishment. Greeks fermented goat milk into rustic wines, while Romans thickened theirs with honey and eggs. In medieval Europe, monks experimented with milk punches, clarifying spirits with cream, leaving behind crystalline liquid with soft edges. By the 17th century, possets and syllabubs blurred the line between dessert and drink, frothy spectacles of milk, ale, and spice. Colonial punch bowls carried milk-washed rums to plantations and drawing rooms alike. The 20th century revived dairy as indulgence: creamy Alexanders, frothy Ramos Gin Fizzes, snowy Eggnogs. The Ramos Gin Fizz (ID 1420) became theater, shaken for 12 minutes until cream and egg froth soared. The Brandy Alexander (ID 288) whispered velvet, cocoa and cream as after-dinner lullaby. Milk in the glass is not accidental—it is civilization’s attempt to transform sustenance into indulgence.
