✔ Updated · 20 drinks with measurements, best mixers + a mocktail
Southern Comfort is a sweet, fruity, lightly spiced whiskey liqueur from New Orleans, which makes it an easy base for cocktails that don't need many mixers. My favorite is a simple pour over ice with ginger beer and lime.
The best things to mix with Southern Comfort are cola, ginger beer or ginger ale, cranberry juice, orange juice and fresh lime. The classic Southern Comfort cocktails are the Alabama Slammer (with amaretto, sloe gin and orange juice), the Scarlett O'Hara (with cranberry and lime) and the Sicilian Kiss (with amaretto). Because the liqueur is already sweet, use little or no extra sugar.
- Easiest: 1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort with 4 oz cola or ginger ale over ice, plus a lime wedge.
- Most famous cocktail: the Alabama Slammer.
- Warm drink: Southern Comfort in hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick.
The best drinks with Southern Comfort balance that sweetness with something tart, bubbly or creamy: cranberry and lime in a Scarlett O'Hara, amaretto and orange juice in an Alabama Slammer, ginger beer in a mule. Below are 20 Southern Comfort cocktails with measurements for one drink, the easiest two-ingredient mixers, tips for balancing the sweetness and an alcohol-free option. All of these drinks contain alcohol and are for adults of legal drinking age.
What Is Southern Comfort?
Southern Comfort is an American whiskey liqueur created in New Orleans in 1874 by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron. It tastes of whiskey with stone fruit, citrus peel, vanilla and warm spice, and it's noticeably sweeter and smoother than a straight bourbon.
For several decades the liqueur was made with a neutral grain spirit rather than whiskey. After the Sazerac Company bought the brand in 2016, whiskey was brought back as the base spirit. The standard liqueur is usually around 35% ABV (70 proof), but strength varies by country and version, so check the label.
Is Southern Comfort a Whiskey or a Liqueur?
Southern Comfort is a liqueur, not a whiskey or bourbon. It contains whiskey, but added sugar and fruit and spice flavors put it in the liqueur category. In cocktails, that means it can replace bourbon or whiskey for a sweeter, fruitier drink, as long as you cut back on any syrup, sugar or honey in the recipe.
20 Drinks with Southern Comfort
Each recipe makes one drink. 1 oz is about 30 ml. Taste before adding any extra sweetener, since Southern Comfort brings plenty of its own.
1. Alabama Slammer
1 oz Southern Comfort, 1 oz amaretto, 1 oz sloe gin and 2 oz orange juice, shaken with ice and strained over fresh ice. Fruity, red and strong.
2. Scarlett O'Hara
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 3 oz cranberry juice and 1/2 oz fresh lime juice, shaken with ice. Tart, fruity and served up or on the rocks.
3. Southern Old Fashioned
2 oz Southern Comfort and 2 dashes Angostura bitters stirred with ice, strained over a large cube, finished with orange peel. No sugar needed.
4. Southern Blackberry Mule
Muddle 4 blackberries, add 1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort and 1/2 oz lime juice, shake, strain over ice and top with 4 oz ginger beer.
5. Southern Comfort Hot Apple Cider
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort stirred into 6 oz hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick and a few cloves. Add honey only after tasting.
6. Southern Whiskey Sour
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 3/4 oz lemon juice and 1/4 oz simple syrup, shaken hard; add pasteurized egg white or aquafaba for foam.
7. Southern Comfort Milkshake
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort blended with 2 scoops vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup milk and a few peach slices, with caramel sauce drizzled on top.
8. Southern Bloody Mary
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort with 4 oz Bloody Mary mix, a squeeze of lemon and hot sauce to taste, stirred over ice, with a pickle garnish.
9. Frozen Southern Hurricane
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 2 oz orange juice, 2 oz pineapple juice, 1/2 oz lime juice and 1/2 oz grenadine, blended with 1 cup ice.
10. Southern Comfort Margarita
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 1 oz fresh lime juice and 1/4 oz agave syrup, shaken with ice and strained into a salt-rimmed glass over ice.
11. Slam Dunk
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 2 oz orange juice and 2 oz cranberry juice, poured over ice and stirred. No shaker needed, easy to batch.
12. Rhett Butler
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 1/2 oz orange curaçao, 1/2 oz lime juice and 1/2 oz lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass.
13. Sicilian Kiss
2 oz Southern Comfort and 1 oz amaretto stirred over ice in a rocks glass. Nutty, sweet and strong, best sipped slowly.
14. Southern Comfort Manhattan
2 oz Southern Comfort, 1/2 oz sweet vermouth and 2 dashes Angostura bitters, stirred with ice and strained; garnish with a cherry.
15. Red Death
1/2 oz each Southern Comfort, vodka, amaretto, sloe gin and triple sec, shaken with 1 oz orange juice and a squeeze of lime. Very strong.
16. Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall
1 oz vodka, 1/2 oz Southern Comfort and 1/2 oz sloe gin over ice with 4 oz orange juice, then 1/2 oz Galliano floated on top.
17. Southern Passion
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 2 oz passion fruit juice and 2 oz cranberry juice, shaken with a squeeze of lime and strained over ice.
18. SoCo Amaretto Lime
1 oz Southern Comfort, 1 oz amaretto, 1/2 oz lime juice and 1 oz sour mix, shaken, strained over ice and topped with 2 oz lemon-lime soda.
19. Southern Comfort Punch
Per drink: 1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort, 2 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz orange juice and 1/2 oz lemon juice over ice, topped with 2 oz lemon-lime soda.
20. Southern Dew
1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort poured over ice in a highball glass and topped with 4 oz citrus soda such as Mountain Dew. Stir once.
Easy 2-Ingredient Southern Comfort Drinks
For the simplest drinks, pour 1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort over ice and top with 4 oz of a mixer. A squeeze of fresh lime brightens almost all of them.
| Drink | Mix with | Tastes like |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Comfort and cola | 4 oz cola + lime wedge | Sweet, spiced, classic highball |
| Southern Comfort and ginger | 4 oz ginger ale or ginger beer | Spicy, bubbly, refreshing |
| Southern Comfort and cranberry | 4 oz cranberry juice | Tart and fruity |
| Southern Comfort and lime | 1/2 oz fresh lime juice, as a short drink or shot | Sharp and sweet |
| Southern Comfort sweet tea | 4 oz iced tea + lemon | Light, Southern-style |
| Southern Comfort eggnog | 4 oz chilled eggnog + grated nutmeg | Creamy holiday drink |
Alcohol-Free Option: Peach Ginger Cooler
Every drink above contains alcohol (Southern Comfort is usually around 35% ABV, or 70 proof, and the Red Death combines five spirits) and is for adults of legal drinking age only. For guests who aren't drinking, drivers, or anyone under age, this mocktail keeps the peach and spice notes with no alcohol.
Fill a highball glass with ice, add 2 oz peach nectar, 1 oz cranberry juice and 1/2 oz fresh lime juice, stir, then top with 4 oz ginger ale. Garnish with a lime wheel and a few cranberries. It’s what I pour for myself when I’m the designated driver. More alcohol-free ideas: our virgin mai tai and Cinderella mocktail.
Tips for Mixing with Southern Comfort
- Cut the sugar. When you swap Southern Comfort into a whiskey or bourbon cocktail, halve the syrup or leave it out, then taste.
- Add something tart. Fresh lime or lemon juice, cranberry juice and bitters balance the liqueur's sweetness.
- Use fresh juice. Freshly squeezed citrus tastes cleaner than bottled sour mix and lets you control the sweetness. I squeeze a bowl of limes right before guests arrive.
- Batch for parties. Slam Dunks, Alabama Slammers and hot cider scale easily. Mix the base in a pitcher, keep it cold (or warm for cider) and pour over fresh ice to order.
- Measure. Use a jigger so every drink tastes the same and the alcohol content stays predictable.
- Drink responsibly. Pace yourself, offer water and food, and never drink and drive.
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What is the best mixer for Southern Comfort?
Cola and ginger beer or ginger ale are the most popular everyday mixers. Cranberry juice, orange juice and fresh lime also work well, because their tartness balances the liqueur's sweetness. Pour 1 1/2 oz Southern Comfort over ice and top with about 4 oz of the mixer.
What is the most famous Southern Comfort cocktail?
The Alabama Slammer is the best-known Southern Comfort cocktail. It mixes Southern Comfort with amaretto, sloe gin and orange juice. The Scarlett O'Hara, with cranberry and lime, is another classic.
What drink has amaretto and Southern Comfort?
Two drinks do. The Alabama Slammer combines Southern Comfort, amaretto, sloe gin and orange juice. The Sicilian Kiss is simpler: 2 oz Southern Comfort and 1 oz amaretto stirred over ice.
Is Southern Comfort a whiskey?
Southern Comfort is classified as a liqueur. It is made with whiskey plus fruit and spice flavors and added sugar, so it is sweeter and smoother than a straight whiskey or bourbon. The standard version is usually around 35% ABV, depending on the country.
Can you drink Southern Comfort straight?
Yes. It is often sipped neat or on the rocks, and a little ice softens the sweetness. As a shot, it is commonly paired with a squeeze of fresh lime.
