Milk Punch

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I love New Orleans. The last time I was there it was spring. The trees were heavy with blossoms, and the smell of flowers, beignets and chicory coffee permeated the air.

The scent of steaming hot chicory French coffee laced with nutmeg and thick frothy cream do much for my olfactories. The elusive aroma of bourbon does this as well. But to combine them, hot milk, coffee, Caribbean spices and an ancient punch recipe? Bliss.

In the morning — this may mean anytime before breakfast — New Orleanians have certain gentile customs. One of these rituals surrounds a cocktail — not very surprising — but not your ordinary cocktail. Sure, it fits in a glass or mug, and is as intoxicating as a fragrant cherry tree in a Japanese garden, but where this drink gains on the competition is the time of day that it’s enjoyed. This drink is a punch, which by definition is anything that carries a fruit juice in the base.

New Orleans-Style Milk Punch

Adapted by Warren Bobrow, this breakfast punch makes going back to sleep easier.

• 6 ounces chicory coffee‚ steaming hot (essential to maximize flavor)
• 3 shots Tuthilltown Baby Bourbon Whiskey
• Foamed whole milk or half and half
• Nutmeg
• Brown sugar simple syrup (1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, cook together adding more water as necessary to make a dark syrup)
• Bittercube Orange Bitters
• A pat of unsalted butter
• Sprinkle of fleur de sel (essential)

1. Pre-heat mug with boiling hot water.
2. Combine coffee and bourbon in a shaker of ice.
3. Add brown sugar syrup to taste, pour hot water out of mug. Add coffee/bourbon mixture.
4. Top with foamed milk (or half and half) and add exactly three drops of the orange bitters. Add the butter then a sprinkle of fleur du sel.
5. Scrape some fresh nutmeg over the top. Sip carefully and the rest of the day should be pleasantly blurry.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Our personal favorite is his new 5 Questions column. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.