By Rick Turner

Here’s a cocktail for all of you White Russian lovers, only this one’s better.

This is the classic Brandy Milk Punch, but most people drop the word Brandy and just call it a Milk Punch.

The recipe dates to somewhere between the 1600-1700s, when no social function was complete without a nice, big bowl of punch. During this time, the two most preferred spirits were rum (a divine product of European expansion) and brandy (its name derived from a Dutch term for “burnt wine”).

Anyway, this little milky delight is for anyone who wants a drink that keeps everything in balance—sweet, tart, fruity, spicy, smooth and just a little bit racy.

2 oz of Brandy

¾ oz. Simple Syrup

2 oz of Whole Milk

Pinch of nutmeg

Shake and strain over fresh ice. Enjoy, but remember this: Your body may be luvin’ the taste, but this milk is punched up with two ounces of hard-core, 80-proof booze, so put the brakes on after two.

Rick Turner is a Certified Specialist in Spirits  (Society of Wine Educators) and a Certified Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers). He is the general manager of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Dallas and writes about cocktails for EscapeHatchDallas.