Southern Comfort (Souten Comfort) – an American liquor with a heavy history

Southern Comfort, also known as SoCo, is an American whiskey-based spice liqueur created in New Orleans in 1874. Since 2016, the brand has been owned by the Sazerac Company.

History

The creator of the Southern Comfort liqueur is bartender Martin Wilkes Heron, who was only 24 years old at the time of the invention of the recipe. At first, he called his creation Cuffs & Buttons, as if entering into a playful debate with a competitor whose spicy whiskey was called Hats & Tails. Cuffs & Buttons – “cuffs and buttons”, with a hint of cuffs & kicks – kicks and kicks. Hats & Tails – “hats and tails”, with a hint of heads & tails – heads and tails.

In 1889, Mr. Heron moved to Tennessee, patented his drink and began selling it under the slogans “Nothing is true but mine” (None Genuine But Mine) and “Two pieces in one hand. The gentleman doesn’t need more” (Two per customer. No Gentleman would ask for more).

In 1904, Southern Comfort liqueur won a gold medal at the Missouri International Exhibition.

It is believed that the original recipe included excellent whiskey (according to another version, on the contrary, the worst one that needs to be softened somehow), vanilla, a quarter of a lemon, half a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries, a couple of slices of orange. When all this was well infused, honey was added to the liquor.

During Prohibition, the production of liquor was stopped, and resumed only in the 1930s, already under the supervision of another owner, Francis Fowler (Francis Fowler). The new manufacturer replaced whiskey with regular alcohol. In 1979, the rights to the drink were acquired by Brown-Forman, and in 2011 a line of liqueurs with different flavors was launched: cherry, lime, gingerbread, tabasco. In 2016, the brand was taken over by the Sazerac Company, and already in 2017, the new owner announced that he intended to return whiskey as the main ingredient.

Types of Southern Comfort liqueur

• original. Whiskey-based liqueur with a strength of 35 degrees, with notes of fruits and spices. Often used in cocktails.
• black. A sharp 40% ABV liquor with an emphasis on whiskey rather than fruits and herbs. It is preferred to drink it neat with ice.
• 100 proof. Whiskey with a strength of 50 degrees, with light nuances of fruit and caramel. It can also be drunk neat or in cocktails.

Cocktail recipes with Southern Comfort

1. Southern Rocks. 2 parts 40% liqueur, ice. Served in an old fashioned glass.
2. Sting Fashioned. 2 parts 40% liqueur, ½ part sugar syrup, 2 drops of bitters. Pour all ingredients into an old fashioned glass filled with ice, stir, serve with cocktail cherry and orange zest.
3. Comfort Collins. One and a half parts of any kind of Southern Comfort to taste, a quarter teaspoon of lime juice. Pour both ingredients into an ice-filled Collins glass, top up with lemon-lime soda.
4. Southern Manhattan. 2 parts 40% liqueur, 1 part sweet vermouth, 2 drops of bitters. Mix everything in an ice-filled glass, serve with a cocktail cherry.
5. Southern Mule. 2 parts liqueur, 3 parts ginger beer. Mix everything in a copper mug, add ice, serve with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.

Interesting Facts

1. Despite the fact that Southern Comfort is invariably located in the whiskey department next to Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, this is not whiskey, but liquor.
2. Moreover, as already mentioned, for several decades there was no whiskey in its composition at all – a maximum of a couple of drops, for color and aroma.
3. Despite this, the company did not abandon the original slogan “the most real of all real” or “nothing is true but mine” (None Genuine But Mine), although it no longer corresponded to reality.
4. According to one version, the first name of the liquor – Cuffs & Buttons – also hints at its composition: citrus chips (“cuffs”) and cloves (“buttons”).
5. During World War II, Colonel Thomas J. Barr missed his favorite drink so much that he named his bomber after him. His crew wrote the name on board, hoping the company would send them a couple of free bottles as a thank you. They had to wait over 60 years – but in 2015, Mr. Barr still got his box of liquor.
6. At one time, the company actively experimented with flavors, but now all these variations are discontinued.
7. Janis Joplin is a famous fan of the brand.