DIY nut and rice milk

Almond milk, horchata, macadamia milk and rice milk are all increasingly making their debut on cocktail menus worldwide. Instead of using a heavy dairy milk there are many flavour and texture benefits to substituting for one of these. Although they’re readily available in most health food stores they’re also incredibly simple to make at home or in your bar.

If you have the time to spare, opting for homemade rice and nut milk is a cost-saving solution that produces a perfect base milk to flavour, vary the ratios slightly and ultimately suit your drink's preferences.

Rice Milk

What you'll need:
1/2 cup brown or white rice (brown works best)
2 cups water
1 pinch salt
Sweetener, either honey, sugar, agave syrup or vanilla extract

Method:
Lightly toast the rice grains in a dry frying pan, until they start to colour which should take approximately five minutes.

Place the rice into a jar or bowl and soak in the water overnight or for about 12 hours. Once completely soaked pour both the water and rice grains into a blender, along with the other ingredients (it's best to experiment with the sweeteners to see how much you require) and blend at the highest speed until completely combined. This should take between two to three minutes.

Using a cheese cloth or nut milk bag strain the liquid into a clean bottle and chill before serving. The mixture will need to be shaken before each use.

Nut Milks

What you'll need:
1 cup nuts
2 cups water plus extra for soaking
1 pinch salt
Sweetener, either honey, sugar, agave syrup or vanilla extract

Method:
Soak the nuts so they are completely covered overnight or a minimum of 12 hours. It's best to leave them as long as possible, as the longer they absorb the water, the creamier the milk will be, so two days is even better.

Drain and rinse the nuts then place them in a blender with the two cups of water, along with the other ingredients (it's best to experiment with the sweeteners to see how much you require) and blend at the highest speed until completely combined. This should take between two to three minutes. The nuts should end up as a very fine meal.

Using a cheese cloth or nut milk bag strain the liquid and meal into a clean bottle and chill before serving. The mixture will need to be shaken before each use.

In Cocktails

Yu Da Ho-Chata
Created by: Ryan Chetiyawardana
Glass: Plastic wine cup
Garnish: Lagavulin spray
Method: Pour the ingredients into the glass and add ice
50ml Jose Cuervo Tradicional tequila
120ml Ho-Chata mix

For the Ho-Chata mix:
2g Lecithin
1 litre rice milk
180ml sugar syrup

Sugar syrup recipe:
2 vanilla pods
2 cinnamon sticks
24 cardamom pods
12 pepper corns
1 Large pinch of salt
2 kg sugar
1 litre water

Cold Macadamia Eggnog
Glass: Collins
Garnish: Dust with grated nutmeg
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.
75 ml Cognac V.S.O.P.
15 ml Sugar syrup (1 water : 2 sugar)
1 fresh Eggs (white & yolk)
75 ml macadamia milk

Almond Milk Punch
Glass: Collins
Garnish: Dust with grated nutmeg
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice.
30 ml Cognac V.S.O.P.
15 ml Gosling's Black Seal rum
15 ml Monin Vanilla sugar syrup
90 ml almond milk

Macadamia White Knight
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Dust with grated nutmeg
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
25 ml Blended Scotch whisky
25 ml Kahlua coffee
25 ml Drambuie
50 ml macadamia milk

Bourbon Rice Milk Punch
Glass: Collins
Garnish: Dust with grated nutmeg
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.
45 ml Maker's Mark bourbon
10 ml Sugar syrup (1 water : 2 sugar)
120ml rice milk
5 ml vanilla extract