Eamon Rockey Talks Milk Punch and Alcohol Infusions

The episode explores the use of sous vide techniques in the bar, particularly for rapid infusions, with Eamon Rockey, director of beverage studies at the Institute of Culinary Education and founder of Rockey's Liqueur. Rockey details a method for quickly infusing black pepper into grain alcohol using an immersion circulator, emphasizing the importance of temperature control to maximize extraction while avoiding bitterness. He explains how understanding solubility—specifically the differences between water and alcohol-soluble compounds—can improve infusion quality and stability. Rockey also discusses the history and technique of milk punch, a clarification method using milk proteins to create stable and complex liqueurs, and shares his experience creating Rockey's Liqueur.