 Southern Comfort | |
| Type | Liqueur |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sazerac Company |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1874 |
| Proof (US) | 100, 80, 70, 60, 42 |
| Website | southerncomfort |
Southern Comfort (often abbreviatedSoCo) is an American naturally fruit-flavoredwhiskeyliqueur[1] with fruit and spice accents.[2][3][4][5] The brand was created by bartenderMartin Wilkes Heron inNew Orleans in 1874, usingwhiskey as the base spirit. Whiskey was replaced by a neutral spirit under the ownership ofBrown–Forman. On March 1, 2016, theSazerac Company purchased it, and reintroduced whiskey as its base spirit.
Southern Comfort was created by bartenderMartin Wilkes Heron (1850–1920), the son of a boat-builder, in 1874 at McCauley's Tavern in the Lower Garden District, two miles (3 km) south of theFrench Quarter ofNew Orleans, Louisiana.[7] According to the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, McCauley's Tavern was "just off Bourbon Street", and the original form of the drink was calledCuffs and Buttons.[8]
Heron moved toMemphis, Tennessee in 1889, patented his creation, and began selling it in sealed bottles with the slogan "None Genuine But Mine"[8] and "Two per customer. No Gentleman would ask for more." Southern Comfort won the gold medal at the1904 World's Fair inSt. Louis, Missouri.
In an episode ofThe Thirsty Traveler entitled "A River of Whiskey", spirits historian Chris Morris describes the original recipe of Southern Comfort. Heron began with good-quality bourbon and would add:
An inch [2.5 cm] of vanilla bean, about a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries, and an orange bit or two. He would let this soak for days. And right when he was ready to finish, he would add his sweetener: he liked to use honey.[9]
The original brand closed duringProhibition and was reopened afterward by Francis Fowler.[10]
Between the 1930s and 2010, the image on the label of Southern Comfort wasA Home on the Mississippi, a rendering byAlfred Waud depictingWoodland Plantation, anantebellum mansion inWest Pointe à la Hache, Louisiana, which is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, and now providesbed-and-breakfast accommodation. In 2010 the plantation artwork was dropped from the label.[6]
Brown–Forman purchased the brand in 1979. In 2011, the brand began releasing flavored variations like cherry, lime, gingerbread, and Tabasco.[11] In January 2016 Brown–Forman sold it toSazerac Company, along withTuaca, as part of a $543.5 million deal.[12] Since March 1, 2016, the brand has been owned by Sazerac.[13] Sazerac announced that Southern Comfort's formula would be changed in 2017 to restore whiskey spirit as the base spirit, as the original formula used. Sometime before Brown–Forman purchased the brand, it had been reformulated to useneutral spirit, with only a negligible amount of whiskey as a flavorant.[5] To take advantage of the rising popularity of bourbon, Southern Comfort Black was introduced in early 2018 (with a slogan of "Smoky Spiced Smooth"), along with a ready-to-drink (RTD) product of "Comfort and Cola" (4-pack of 375 mL cans, 6% alcohol).
In the United States, Southern Comfort is available as 42 US proof (21% ABV), 80 USproof (40%ABV), 100 US proof (50% ABV), and in Australia it is 60 USproof (30%ABV). Varieties including additional flavorings, such as lime and caramel, were introduced by Brown–Forman in the latter years of their ownership, but were discontinued by Sazerac.[5]
Also seasonally available is Southern Comfort-brandedeggnog. These currently include two variations of eggnog flavors, Traditional and Vanilla Spice. The Traditional flavor is usually available in one US qt (0.95 L) and one-half US gallon (1.9 L) sizes. These eggnog products contain no alcohol.[14][15]
Previously, there were also ground coffees available with both of these eggnog flavorings, but the coffee products have since been discontinued.
Southern Comfort is used in the creation of numerouscocktails, including theAlabama Slammer.
ALABAMA SLAMMER 1 oz. Southern Comfort, ½ oz. sloe gin, 1 oz. amaretto, ½ oz. orange juice. Pour into highball glass over rocks. Stir.
One of the earliest Southern Comfort-based cocktails to be marketed was the Scarlett O'Hara, named afterthe character and concocted in tribute to the release of thefilm adaptation ofGone with the Wind in 1939. The mixture includes Southern Comfort, cranberry juice, and fresh lime.[16]
