Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort is an American liqueur with whiskey, fruit and spices. You can taste peach, orange, cinnamon and vanilla. Here you can read what Southern Comfort actually is, which bottles are available, how to drink it and which cocktails you can make with it.
Whiskey with fruit and spices
Southern Comfort was created in 1874 by Martin Wilkes Heron, a bartender in New Orleans. He mixed whiskey with fruit and spices to make the drink smoother and sweeter. That is where the name comes from: comfort from the American South. The recipe is still a secret.
Officially, Southern Comfort is a liqueur, not whiskey. It contains whiskey, along with peach, orange, cinnamon and vanilla flavors, and sugar has been added. This makes it sweeter and rounder than a bourbon. The regular bottle has 35% alcohol. Southern Comfort Black has 40% and, according to the maker, more whiskey for a fuller, more intense flavor.
In brief
Original and Black
Gall & Gall sells 4 bottles of Southern Comfort: the Original in three sizes and the stronger Black.
Southern Comfort Original
The classic bottle. Fruity and smooth, with peach, orange, cinnamon and vanilla.
Southern Comfort 35 cl
The same Original in a smaller bottle. Handy for trying it out or taking it with you.
Southern Comfort 1 liter
The Original in a one-liter bottle. For those who mix it often or are hosting a party.
Southern Comfort Black
Just as smooth as the Original, but with more whiskey and more intensity.
Southern Comfort is smoother and sweeter than whiskey. Want to know what bourbon tastes like? Read our page about bourbon.
Sweet, fruity and warm
Peach & orange
You smell fruit first: ripe peach and orange peel. Underneath is a warm aroma of cinnamon and vanilla.
Smooth and sweet
Sweet and rounded, with fruit taking center stage. The whiskey appears in the background as a warm, lightly woody note.
Spicy
A warm finish with cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. With Black, the whiskey comes through more clearly.
Flavor profile of Southern Comfort Original at 35% ABV. Black has more whiskey and greater intensity.
Three ways to drink Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort is smooth enough to drink neat and sweet enough to mix well. Start with plenty of ice.
Neat over ice
Pour 4 cl into a tumbler with a few large ice cubes. The ice makes it slightly less sweet and smoother. An orange wedge pairs well with it.
Glass: tumbler →With cola or ginger ale
Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in 4 cl of Southern Comfort and top up with cola or ginger ale. Add a lime wedge for a refreshing long drink.
About ginger ale →Scarlett O'Hara
A well-known cocktail with Southern Comfort, cranberry juice and fresh lime juice. Shake with ice and pour into a coupe or cocktail glass.
More cocktails →Cocktails with Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort features in classics such as the Scarlett O'Hara and the Alabama Slammer, with amaretto and sloe gin. It also works well in whiskey cocktails: it makes them smoother and fruitier.
Old Fashioned
Whiskey, sugar and bitters. With Southern Comfort Black, it becomes fruitier; use less sugar.
Hot Toddy
Whiskey, honey, lemon and hot water. Southern Comfort adds peach and cinnamon.
Moscow Mule
Usually made with vodka, lime and ginger beer. Try it with Southern Comfort.
Whiskey cocktails
From Whiskey Sour to Manhattan: the best-known whiskey cocktails at a glance.The right glass for Southern Comfort
A tumbler for drinking neat over ice, a highball glass for mixing with cola or ginger ale. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Southern Comfort
Didn't find your question? Read more about liqueur or browse our cocktail recipes.
To liqueur →What is Southern Comfort?
Is Southern Comfort whiskey?
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Which glass do you use for Southern Comfort?
Buy Southern Comfort
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Southern Comfort online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of October 9, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.