🥃 Southern Comfort Original
The classic Southern Comfort line, an American whiskey-based liqueur with fruit and spice; 35% ABV.
Southern Comfort Original is the classic line of the American liqueur Southern Comfort, which combines whiskey with fruit and spices. According to Sazerac UK and Difford's Guide, it is 35% ABV (70 proof). It is the mildest and sweetest of the brand's permanent lines, created in 1874 by Martin Wilkes Heron.
Production. According to Sazerac, the drink is an American whiskey mixed with fruit and spices; the label calls it Spirit Whiskey with Natural Flavors. Difford's Guide describes the taste as peach and orange with whiskey, and notes that while the brand was owned by Brown-Forman the whiskey base was replaced with a neutral spirit; the brand was later acquired by Sazerac. The producer does not disclose the exact fruit and spice mix.
Why this matters to you. Southern Comfort is a liqueur, not a whiskey: it contains sugar, so it tastes sweeter. Original is a good way to get to know the brand; compare it with Southern Comfort Black if you want a more pronounced whiskey taste, and with 100 Proof if you need 50% strength. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | 1874, New Orleans (Martin Wilkes Heron) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I (liqueur) |
| EU category | liqueur (whiskey liqueur) |
| Raw material | American whiskey, fruit and spices (full recipe not disclosed) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 35% ABV (70 proof) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Southern Comfort Original → made from → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Whisky
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Southern Comfort, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Southern Comfort 100 Proof, 🥃 Southern Comfort Black, 🥃 Southern Comfort 100 Proof, 🥃 Southern Comfort Black
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Southern Comfort Original is a whiskey?
No. It is a liqueur based on whiskey, with fruit and spices, and it is sweet.
What is the strength of Original?
According to Sazerac UK and Difford's Guide, 35% ABV (70 proof).
Was the base always whiskey?
According to Difford's Guide, during the Brown-Forman period the whiskey was replaced with a neutral spirit; Sazerac, which later acquired the brand, describes the base as American whiskey.
What to read next
- 🥃 Southern Comfort 100 Proof — The strongest Southern Comfort line; according to Sazerac UK, 50% ABV, with whiskey, caramel and fruit notes.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🥃 Whisky — Grain distillate: under EU rules whisky is aged at least three years in oak casks, with a strength of 40% vol. or more.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Southern Comfort 100 Proof · 🥃 Southern Comfort Black · 🥃 Pimm's Blackberry & Elderflower · 🥃 Pimm's Winter Cup · 🥃 Midori Melon Liqueur · 🥃 Pimm's No.1 Cup
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Southern Comfort Liqueur (35 %, peach and orange flavoured liqueur with whiskey; M.W. Heron c. 1874; Sazerac)
- Sazerac UK: Southern Comfort (35 %, created 1874 by M.W. Heron, American whiskey with fruits and spices)
- Southern Comfort: Original (product page; label 'Spirit Whiskey with Natural Flavors')
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I (liqueur)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)