Southern Comfort has never left but they are back with a brand new attitude - "Whatever's Comfortable". I was given the opportunity to explore their classic Southern Comfort, Southern Comfort Lime, and Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry. I've got the good, the okay, and the wow bring me more for you all.
Here's the "wow bring me more": Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry. I must say that at first I was a little hesitant to try this. I am not a “fruity drink” kind of gal and am particularly not too fond of anything cherry. I decided to first try it as a shot, this way if I didn’t like it, it would have went down quick and relatively painless. Much to my surprise, it was quite pleasant. At first, it seemed like the classic Southern Comfort leaving only the subtle dark cherry flavorings for the finish. This was by no means anything like the cough syrup that I imagined it might be that brings me back to horrible childhood memories. Moving on, I decided to try a few of their recommended mixers that Southern Comfort had recommended for me to try. The first one that caught my eye was their Cherry Pomegranate Lemonade.
Recipe:
1 ½ oz. Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
1 oz. Pomegranate Juice
3 oz. Lemonade
Glass: Tall
Method: Shake and strain with ice
Garnish: Lime
Thoughts: Perfect blend of ingredients of which none of them are overbearing. A great adult take on a classic childhood summertime refreshing drink. If having company, I’d suggest making it by the pitcher as it sure not to last!
Anything involving the words “chocolate covered” has sure to be a hit right? Correct! They nailed it with their SoCo Chocolate Covered Cherry (Shot)
Recipe:
1 ¼ oz. Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
½ oz. Dark crème de cocoa
Glass: Shot glass
Method: Shake and strain with ice
Thoughts: It’s a match made in heaven. It was sweet with a bit of heat and bitterness in all the right places.
Moving on, I decided to try the Southern Comfort Lime. This honestly was not my favorite but I’ve also had plenty far worse. This makes for a better mixer rather than a shot. For me, I found the lime was too sweet and syrupy making it a little overpowering. For the classic SoCo and lime shot, I’d stick with their classic Southern Comfort with fresh squeezed lime juice or just the lime chaser. I tried it mixed with Coke Zero and found it much more pleasing to the palate. The Coke Zero was able to subdue the power of the lime making it the perfect ratio for a pleasant drink. This would not be my go-to whiskey liqueur but I also would not run for the hills at the sight of it.
One cannot go wrong with the Classic Southern Comfort liqueur. I was given quite a few recommended recipes, including drinks, punches and pitchers. Having friends over last week was the perfect opportunity to try out their Scarlett O’Hara Punch!
Recipe:
1 ¼ c. Southern Comfort
5 c. Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1-10 oz. bottle Club Soda
Juice of one lime
Glass: Pitcher/Punch Bowl
Method: Stir
Garnish: Lime Wedges
Thoughts: Crowd pleaser all around. Summer sweet and refreshing. I’m glad I had plenty of the mixer since I had to make a second pitcher. Just be careful. It goes down so easy that you may find yourself having one too many way too quickly.
What’s better in the summer than a Southern Margarita right? For those that do not like tequila, I suggest you try this.
Recipe:
2 oz. Southern Comfort
2 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
1 oz. Sweetened Lime Juice
Glass: Margarita
Method: Blender with ice
Garnish: Lime Slice
Thoughts: May I have another? Southern twist on a Summer (or anytime) classic. I found this had just the right amount of heat to give you what you’re looking for without taking away from the traditional Margaritas one may be used to.
All in all, you cannot go wrong with Southern Comfort. Everyone should enjoy their summer, enjoy their drinks and do or have “Whatever’s Comfortable.