Carnival Season is not for the faint of heart.

It’s mind boggling, but in New Orleans, you have exactly five days to recover from the compounding holiday overindulgences before the Mardi Gras madness begins.

Detoxing be damned, here come the King Cakes!

Every bakery and pastry chef in the Big Easy is tempting even the savory tooths with their insanely creative concoctions. (See Punch List for our top King Cake picks)

So in the words of my favorite Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby, fix your wig!

Get your life together.

Stay tough, ladies, we’ve got some Mardi Gras magic to experience!

For those of us still “on the wagon,” parading down St. Charles Avenue in our hearts, that means the cocktails are still flowing, too. Milk Punch variations are for livin’, not just the holidays, so why not get your favorite brunchtime drink in on the merriment?

Make King Cake Milk Punch!

The Recipe
For a seasonal take on a creamy, eye-opening milk punch, think traditional king cake flavors: cinnamon and pecan. To your go-to batch, simply infuse the simple syrup with cinnamon sticks (method follows) and add Praline Pecan Liqueur. Cinnamon syrup needs plenty of time to allow its flavors to infuse the syrup, so we leave it on the stovetop for a full 6 hours.

The Glittery Garnish
While sugar rims on cocktails usually give us hives, this Mardi Gras-inspired cocktail is an exception. So feel the krewe-esque craftiness (glue guns aside) while festooning glasses of milk punch with glittery sprinkles and a big ole dusting of grated nutmeg.

The Party Trick
But wait. Don’t forget the party trick, Milk Punch Media style: plant a plastic baby in someone’s drink!  The person who finds the baby hosts the next party—or just let her hold court all day and call her the QUEEN.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!