Navigating December is akin to traversing a boozy minefield, full of potentially perilous Christmas work ‘dos’ and the resulting, all-consuming hangovers of doom. If it’s a month of merriment, it’s also a time of delicate constitutions.

If the world’s most famous festive tipple – the gut-wrenching blend of eggs, cream and alcohol that is eggnog – seems like a gastronomical risk you’d rather not take, why not opt for its lighter, though no less potent, cousin?

The traditional bourbon milk punch is one of the oldest drinks in cocktail history, and while its blend of silken milk and dark, robust spirits might seem a curious combination to the modern palate, it has enjoyed popularity – especially across America – since colonial times.

A sweet, velvety drink with a devilishly warming kick, its core ingredients and method are rustically simple: a spirit (typically bourbon, rum or brandy), milk and sugar, shaken over ice. However, due to a recent surge in acclaim, bartenders the world over are updating this veteran draft with their own innovative flair.

“The milk punch is the perfect antidote to the cold winter months,” says Andrea Montague, Bulleit bourbon brand ambassador. Luca Cinalli, bar manager at Oriole, the new outpost from the diehard cocktail crew behind East London’s most notorious speakeasy, Nightjar, agrees. “Our version, the Prairie Horn, is based around the classic concept: a milk punch, with bourbon at its core. But the additional blend of herbs and fruits from America’s prairies is pretty unique in approach and flavour.”

Not content with adding an authentic historical twist to an already battle-scarred cocktail, the team at Oriole have also added popcorn tea, or Genmaicha – a type of green tea bulked out with brown rice – to impart a nutty undertone, and a complex spicy mustard foam in place of the drink’s more traditional milk.

“We use a buffalo horn cup to serve,” says Cinalli, “but it can be served in any vessel. How you dress your drink is part of the fun.”