Put down that bloody mary. Say no to the mimosa. If you want to day-drink like an authentic Mardi Gras reveler, you need to start off the big day the way they do in the Big Easy with creamy, boozy milk punch.

The classic New Orleans eye-opener is usually made with dairy (milk or cream), sweetener (simple syrup or powdered sugar) and alcohol (traditionally brandy, but also bourbon or rum). Add a grating of fresh nutmeg, and youre ready to sip on a cocktail thats at once incredibly simple in its milk-fed sweetness, but also deeply serious in terms of the punch that can be packed in such an unassuming package.

Its just the perfect breakfast cocktail, New Orleans food celebrity and Drag Queen Brunch cookbook author Poppy Tooker told HuffPost. Tooker lives in a town where late-night celebrations can often extend well into the next day, especially during the Mardi Gras season. In New Orleans, a morning cocktail would never be considered out of place at a celebratory breakfast and in this city, theres always something to celebrate.

Calling it a great choice for an entry-level cocktail, Tooker said milk punch is great for first-time imbibers as well as inveterate tipplers. I think the sugar content provides a lift to the system. Its good for you! Its so benign you dont even think youre drinking.

Tooker prefers her eye-opener milk punch made with brandy. I think thats a little easier on your system first-thing than a shot of whisky, but whatever floats your boat, she said. While other mixologists use simple syrup to sweeten the punch, she believes confectioners sugar provides more body and offers a foamier head. Everyone should have a milk mustache on Mardi Gras morning.

The night before Mardi Gras, Tooker whips up batches of her special recipe (see the recipe below) and funnels the milk punch back into half-gallon milk jugs. While people gather for parade-watching, she gives the jug a last-minute shake, then pours the frothy, foamy-headed concoction into cups. Add in a few of my signature deviled eggs, made with butter instead of the traditional mayonnaise so theyll keep at room temperature, and youve got yourself a breakfast of champions, she said.