Alcohol By Volume

southern comfort

Southern Comfort: A Branded Taste From 1800s United States

The classic taste comes from the old generation. Southern Comfort is such a classic taste with the touch of fruit and spice flavors which makes it an exclusive American-whiskey. Martin Heron had introduced Southern comfort in 1874, the era of World War Second. The taste of Southern Comfort mixed conveniently into the veins of whiskey lovers and has set the quality benchmark of liquors higher.

Today, Southern Comfort is one of the prominent brands of the Sazerac Company which took over the copyright of SoCo recently in 2016. The base spirit whiskey flowed down to the bottom of the hearts of the American whiskey fans and had earned a gold medal in 1904 at World’s Fair.

It is noteworthy to mention that SoCo in the 20th century still goes around the tables of trendy bars and throat-down of the classic personalities worldwide. It is considered as a significant liquor for cocktails. Indeed, marvelously known cocktails like Alabama Slammer and Scarlett O’Hara are fashioned with SoCo to craft an incredible flavor of drinks.

Indeed, back in the decades, SoCo had also attained international level marketing over the big screen via an episode of “The thirst traveler” where SoCo had mentioned as “A river of Whiskey.” Yes! The tour de force classic Whiskey SoCo has been a part of many big-screen masterpieces. Undoubtedly, the credit of such good taste goes to the M. Heron.

What is Southern Comfort?

Well! To the reader’s surprise, Southern comfort is not a whiskey. In actual fact, Martin Heron did a trick there in 1800s United States while preparing the best Liquor for the coming centuries.

The original recipe of Southern Comfort included vanilla beans, cinnamon, lemon, cloves, oranges, cherries, honey and a small amount of whiskey for keeping alive the phantom of the liquor i.e.., sweet and smooth.

what is southern comfort

It is quite an impressive contemplation that SoCo is counted among the high-flying whiskey brands in the United States like Jameson Irish even though it is not entirely a whiskey but a mixture of natural ingredients.

While digging into the history of Southern Comfort, it is quite appalling that the original recipe of the SoCo is still unknown. In the past 150 years, competitors have failed to match the quality level of the drink.

Well! The 150 years old trademark of the US famous liquor, SoCo says so too. It is “None Genuine but mine.” M. Heron made the doubt clear in the first place about how the SoCo is unique and one’s special art of liquor.

“Cuffs & Buttons,” is the Original SoCo

I know what the readers think of as an immediate reaction to “Cuffs & Buttons,” it’s Hat and Tails. On one hand, where ‘Cuffs and Buttons’ were pioneering the main ingredients of the SoCo—citrus peel and cloves, Southern Comfort had brought in the trust of the American drinkers into the liquor.

Yes! SoCo was originally known as the Cuffs and Buttons; however, New Orleans citizens give an appreciable amount of attention to the SoCo as the results of marketing in the 1900s.

SoCo is New Orleans’s first Original Drink

Back in the times before Southern Comfort was introduced, the liqueurs or whiskeys in New Orleans were imported from Kentucky and Tennessee. Even though it was the only source of New Orleans drinkers to get the heaven swallowed down the throat, they were not very happy with it.

In those times, M. Heron was a bartender and as of being around the drinkers, he realized how unhappy the drinkers are with the imported whiskeys as the import duration destroys the taste and customers stay unsatisfied.

Thus, M. Heron made Southern Comfort and introduced the first-ever original drink of New Orleans. As mentioned earlier, the SoCo was called Cuffs and Buttons, although, only until it made into the shelves of every bar in the USA.

Do you remember Gone with the Wind?

The eminence of Southern Comfort does not seem very surprising when its history of brand marketing is impeccable. Certainly, SoCo has made it into the Hollywood movies in no time and attract the worldwide audience to taste “what’s all the fuss about this liqueur?” In 1939, SoCo made its appearance in the movie Gone with the Wind as a cocktail ingredient.

The cocktail was named Scarlett O’ Hara. Indeed, not only have been movies marketing the SoCo at an international level but its celebrity lovers as well. Janis Joplin in her times used to carry Southern Comfort to the stage shows.

In many interviews, she also mentioned: “Southern Comfort is her fur coat.” Among many Southern Comfort fanatics, the quote “Janis Joplin loved SoCo to death” goes around as she died because of consuming a drink mixed with the heroine. I would say Heroine before Heroin for her!

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The World War Second Heroes before Hollywood’s obsession

There have been proud moments for the Southern Comfort whiskey brands since ever established. However, during the Era of WWII, the prominence of the whiskey among the soldiers enhanced when the American Air force pilots named their plane after Southern Comfort. That’s right, the safety of the world and especially the USA had been handed to the SoCo.

After such a marketing move by the pilots dedicated after their love for the heaven-like taste of the Southern Comfort, the whiskey made its way into the bars of England for the first time. It was stark of success before Brown-former bought the copyrights of Southern Comfort in the 19th century.

Southern Comfort’s Ad of the Week

Later in the 19th century, SoCo’s marketing seeks the pathway of advertisements. However, many ads of the Southern Comfort were banned due to controversies and memes that had mistakenly created by a roadside banner installer.

The first great ad of Southern Comfort represents a confident man on the beach walking and on his way; he picks up a dog and a bottle of the Southern Comfort beset on the pile of rocks.

The tagline stated, “Whatever’s comfortable.” On one hand, where the ad had given an impression of confidence and comfort through SoCo, it had highly represented the brand to hit in the bars on the beaches of the USA. Finally, in 2012, the ad had given the title “Ad of the week,”

North-South, SoCo glues the crowd

The myths spread around easily. Such a myth was following Southern Comfort 100 proof. According to myths, SoCo was doing good business in the Southside of the country and not so much in the North. However, statistics do not say so. In Wisconsin, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, the consumption volume of the Southern Comfort was quite higher than the southern states. Although this fame of the SoCo whiskey in the North was only for a few decades in the 19th century, it was there!

Banned Advertisement of SoCo and the stretched controversy

Sometimes controversies make brands like Southern Comfort drinks famous. In 2008, an advertisement creates for the marketing of SoCo was banned. The advertisement had been giving an impression of the negligent behavior of drinkers and the significance of the alcohol to enjoy the company of friends at a night out.

Undoubtedly, the advertisement was quite an outstanding job in the context of creativity, however, sometimes creativity is not enough. It seems thinking like a customer is also important.

Southern Comfort: the flavored Whiskey

In the 1800s, the USA was not familiar with the concept of alcohol in different flavors. Then, Southern Whiskey featured. Today, it comes in different flavors and different proofs. SoCo comes in black, cherry, caramel and lime.

In the context of proofs, SoCo has a southern comfort 100 proof blend which contains 50% of alcohol. Others include Southern Comfort 70 proof, 80 proof, 60 proof, and 30 proof. It is noteworthy to mention that how SoCo has grasped unlimited categories of drinkers, from 50% alcohol to fans of light drinks through introducing a manifold proof bottle of whiskey.

SoCo has advertised creativity and art

Southern Comfort has been a cocktail ingredient for a long time. As earlier mentioned, Alabama Slammer and Scarlett O’ Hara are the cocktails made by adding Southern Comfort to the different beverages. Indeed, M. Heron, the originator of Southern Comfort whiskey has risen courage among the other whiskey brands and bartenders.

It has represented the power of creativity that works, even though, the artist has as little ingredient as the low-quality whiskey mixed with cloves and citrus peels.

SoCo: New Orleans’s Spirit

SoCo has come far from being a unique drink and taste of a bartender to bring the spirit of New Orleans and worldwide drinkers.

The success of Southern Comfort is relatable to the big brands of whiskeys like Jack Daniel. M. Heron and Sazerac co. may have evolved SoCo into an exclusively flavored whiskey, nevertheless, the old fashioned taste of Southern Comfort is still alive, a secret recipe and available in the duty-free stores, online alcohol service websites, and bars.

Yesterday, today or tomorrow, the branded taste of Southern Comfort whiskey was and will still be the star of drinks for the United States.