Southern ComfortSouthern Comfort
Southern ComfortFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Southern Comfort (disambiguation).
Southern Comfort is a fruit-, spice-, and whiskey-flavored [1] liqueur produced since 1874-though not always by the modern formula. The brand was created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans, when he wanted to make a better tasting whiskey. Today the brand pays homage to its roots with a package that features New Orleans imagery by illustrator Christian Northeast. It is often referred to simply as "SoCo". Southern Comfort has also expanded over the years and has several product offerings globally. In the US Southern Comfort is available as 100 US proof (50% alcohol by volume), and 70 US proof (35% alcohol by volume). Southern Comfort Special Reserve, found in duty-free shops, is a blend of Southern Comfort and bourbon, and is 80 US proof. Southern Comfort also produces Ready-To-Pour cocktails available in the US including Southern Comfort Sweet Tea, Southern Comfort Hurricane and Southern Comfort Lemonade, which are all 30 proof (15% alcohol by volume). Southern Comfort Lime released in the Summer of 2010 is 55 proof (27.5% alcohol by volume). Outside the US, Southern Comfort produces single-serve cocktails including Southern Comfort Lemonade and Lime in the UK, and Southern Comfort and Cola in Australia. The Brown-Forman Corporation owns the Southern Comfort brand.
History
Southern Comfort was first produced by Irish bartender Martin Wilkes Heron (1850-1920), the son of a boat-builder. Legend says it was created and sold at McCauley's Tavern at the corner of Richard and St. Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.[citation needed] However, St. Peter Street and Richard Street do not intersect, though Richard Street does intersect with S. Peters Street in the Lower Garden District near the Mississippi River. Heron moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1889, patented his creation, and began selling it in sealed bottles with the slogan "None Genuine But Mine" and "Two per customer. No Gentleman would ask for more." Southern Comfort won the gold medal at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. In an episode of The Thirsty Traveler entitled "A River of Whiskey," spirits historian Chris Morris describes the original recipe of Southern Comfort. Heron began with good-quality bourbon and would add: "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."[2] Since the 1930s, the image on the label of Southern Comfort has been A Home on the Mississippi, a rendering by Alfred Waud depicting Woodland Plantation, an antebellum mansion in West Pointe a la Hache, Louisiana. Woodland Plantation, which is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, now provides bed-and-breakfast accommodation. In cocktailsSouthern Comfort is used in the creation of many popular cocktails, including Alabama Slammer, Red Death, A Piece of Ass, Red Devil, Greek Sex on the Beach, Crash & Burn, '57 Chevy, Sloe Comfortable Screw, SoCo Hurricane, The Princess Peach, Slo Sunrise, Rickstasy, SocaCola, SoCoCello, SoCo-LoCo, SoCo Manhattan, Blind Andy, SoCo Andy, Liquid Cocaine, Steamboat and Funky Cold Medina. Southern Comfort and club soda make a drink called An Old Woody. One of the earliest Southern Comfort-based cocktails to be marketed was the Scarlett O'Hara, concocted in tribute to the release of the film adaptation of Gone with the Wind in 1939. The mixture includes Southern Comfort, cranberry juice, and fresh lime.[3] In a recent advertising campaign, the company suggests mixing it with lime juice to make a Soco and lime. When Southern Comfort is taken as a shot and chased with orange soda, it gives the distinct taste of an Orange Creamsicle. Another popular mix that incorporates juice is the Adam's Apple, a combination of Southern Comfort and apple juice. Cider can also be used in this drink. In New Zealand, Southern Comfort is often mixed with Lemon & Paeroa. In Ireland, Southern Comfort is often mixed with Red Lemonade (a type of soft drink popular in Ireland ). This is known as a Southy and Red (or Suddy 'n' Red in Dublin). In popular culture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Comfort" Categories: American liqueurs | Brown-Forman brands | American distilled beverages | Irish American history Related PostsSouthern Comfort | |||||||||||||||
