Sunflower Punch Recipe

Toast seeds

Lightly toast the hulled sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and just golden. Allow to cool.

Infuse Pernod and sherry

Combine the cooled toasted sunflower seeds, Pernod and fino sherry in a clean jar. Add the fresh tarragon sprigs. Seal and let infuse at room temperature for 2 hours, gently shaking every 20–30 minutes to encourage extraction.

Strain infusion

After 2 hours, strain the infusion through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container to remove solids. Press gently on the seeds and tarragon to extract liquid but avoid forcing bitter solids. You should have approximately 140–150 ml of infused spirit blend (remaining volumes used later).

Make a simple lemon syrup by dissolving the caster sugar in 30 ml warm water. Stir until fully dissolved and cool to room temperature. Combine the lemon juice with the cooled syrup and set aside.

Combine liquids

In a pitcher, combine the remaining infused Pernod–fino mixture (from Base infusion) with the lemon-sugar mixture and the cold filtered water. Stir to integrate flavors.

Add milk

Slowly stir in the whole milk. You will see curdling happen as the milk proteins coagulate and bind with tannins/solubles. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes; curds will form and liquid will begin to clarify.

Clarify

Line a fine-mesh sieve with several layers of cheesecloth (or use coffee filters) over a clean bowl. Pour the curdled mixture slowly through the cloth allowing it to filter by gravity. Do not press the curds initially—let gravity do most of the work for a clearer result. This primary filter should yield a clear, pale-yellow liquid. If still cloudy, pass through a fresh filter once more. Chill the clarified liquid in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Taste the clarified punch and adjust sweetness or acidity with small amounts of simple syrup or lemon juice if needed. Strain again into a soda siphon or bottle suitable for carbonation if you plan to carbonate. If you do not have carbonation equipment, chill and serve over ice with a splash of soda water per serving.

Carbonate (optional)

If carbonating: transfer the clarified punch into a siphon or carbonation keg following manufacturer's instructions and carbonate to a moderate level (2.2–2.8 volumes CO2) to retain delicate aromatics. Chill to service temperature (about 3–6°C).

Serve

For each serving (recipe yields about 6 servings): Fill a chilled highball or coupe with ice (if serving on the rocks) or leave chilled and ice-free for sparkling format. Pour approximately 60–65 ml clarified punch into the glass. If not pre-carbonated, top with 40–60 ml chilled carbonated water and gently stir once. If pre-carbonated, pour carefully to preserve effervescence and top with a small splash of carbonated water if desired.

Garnish

Garnish each glass with a small tarragon sprig, a lemon twist, and a pinch of toasted sunflower seeds (place on top of the foam or on a lemon twist skewer). Serve immediately.