What do the hurricane, bourbon milk punch, and the Ramos gin fizz all have in common? They all hail from the great cocktail town of New Orleans, and are all good options for celebrating Fat Tuesday in style. But if you're a sucker for classic, spirit-forward cocktails like I am, then there's only one way to celebrate Mardi Gras: with a classic Sazerac.

I've enjoyed Sazeracs in many iterations: served on the rocks or straight up in a martini glass, with the Sazerac brand of whiskey, and even with fruit infusions. Mark my words, though: the most perfect version of a Sazerac is this minimalist one from my friend Sam Treadway, bartender at Boston's Backbar.

I reached out to Sam to find out what makes his Sazerac so memorable. As it turns out, the Big Easy cocktail has a special place in his heart, so he gives it plenty of due attention. "It needs nothing too fancy," he told me. "Just lots of love, because it's my favorite drink."

See his recipe when you keep reading.

While I most often associate bourbon milk punch with holiday festivities, Winter months are always an appropriate time for this slushy, granita-like cocktail made with milk, bourbon, and powdered sugar. In Louisiana and Mississippi, households pride themselves on bourbon milk punch recipes. There are arguments about whether you should use vanilla ice cream or whole milk and if the punch should have bourbon or brandy. The recipe varieties are endless; my mom even admits to making diet milk punches with her friends using skim milk and Sweet'n Low.

The following is my favorite milk punch recipe, made with whole milk and bourbon. The whole milk gives it enough creaminess and body, and the vanilla and nutmeg make me nostalgic for a snowy Winter day. The best part is you can control the sweetness of the beverage as well as the strength. Just remember, as the milk punch freezes, it won't be as sweet as it is in liquid form. Due to the bourbon, the milk does not completely freeze, and the frozen punch can be easily scraped into a slushy cocktail. Do as the natives in New Orleans, and drink this cocktail during brunch on Winter days.

Click here to see the recipe.

I'd hardly turn my nose up at a box of luxe chocolates, a bottle of bubbly, or a bouquet of flowers, but what I'm really after this Valentine's Day is something simultaneously comforting and exciting; an ethereal ham and cheese soufflé certainly fits the bill. Full of classic French flavors (think ham and cheese croissant), these individual soufflés would make for a perfect light first course for any meal, but would be particularly at home as part of a Valentine's Day dinner to remember.

To address the elephant in the room, making a soufflé isn't exactly a slap-dash affair, but it's not terribly difficult either, provided you keep in mind a few simple rules. So what are you waiting for? Wow your sweetheart with these delightfully decadent treats.