Southern Comfort Liqueur

Any traveler in the states has heard of southern hospitality, but have you heard of Southern Comfort? Chances are you probably have. It is just one of those liqueurs you always see, but maybe you have not given it a go. If you have not had the chance to try it, now is good a time. Everyone needs a little comfort and I'll take a look at it with you.

Background:

Southern Comfort has been around a good long while, since 1874 to be exact. However the formula has changed over time and even now as far as I can tell the exact formula is not known. What I do know is that it is pretty tasty and since it's inception back in 1874 has remained a popular liqueur for mixing and drinking straight.

The liqueur was created by Martin Wilkes Heron an Irish bartender in New Orleans Louisiana. It became popular very quick and by 1889 he moved to Memphis Tennessee where he patented his creation and later even won a Gold Medal for the liqueur at the 1904 World's Fair in St.louis Missouri.

Only the producers know the recipe now and it is kept secret like most, but some say the original recipe could have been as follows:

"An inch 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."^[

Sounds delicious, but how does it taste now? Let's get to the review, I'm getting thirsty over here.

Visual:

Nothing fancy here. This is a liquor you can definitely describe easily as caramel colored. It is a light toasty brown, and fairly syrupy as you swirl it around. In fact it does look a little like maple syrup.

Nose:

Southern comfort is comforting right from the first smell. It has a sharp mint and spice aroma. The mint is not overly strong but comes through the spice well. Even those that don't like peppermint or spearmint could still enjoy this. The spice leans toward cinnamon, but is not distinct. Some may not describe the nose as having "mint" in it, but I can't think of anything closer. Perhaps it is a muddled mint.

Taste:

As a note, this Liqueur comes in several proofs. I tried the 70 proof.

The mouth feel reminds me of whiskey with a little burn up front, then a buttery finish. Cinnamon, Honey, Vanilla, it is all here. I can't pick out any cherry but maybe it will be different for you. The sort of mint spark in the nose does not come through in the taste, and I am glad because myself, I'm not fond of too much mint.

In the tasting process I also tried the now classic "Soco and Lime" cocktail. I can see why this is popular, a little fresh or sweetened lime juice goes amazing with this. The acidic lime really brings a new character to the liqueur. It's a must try.

Final:

Delicious. I can drink it straight, I can mix it. It goes great in coke, ginger ale, many different mixers.

Many people say liquor gives you a warm feeling. I know some of that is due to the effects of alcohol itself, but I like to say that this stuff warms you with the nose and the taste. The spices and honey butter feel are great on a cold day. Now that I think about it, you could even put this in a hot drink like tea or coffee.