Probably the most famous American liqueur is Southern Comfort, a somewhat fruitier cousin of the Scotch-based liqueurs. Bourbon is used as the base but the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret although it's well known that the fruit flavouring is peaches.
It's thought that it's origins lie with the custom of mixing bourbon with peach juice as a cocktail in the southern states of the USA. In New Orleans there was once a cocktail called Sazerac and the recipe for this - from the Savoy Cocktail Book - consists of: a shot of rye whiskey, a sprinkling of peach bitters, a lump of sugar and a dash of absinthe.
A certain M.W. Heron developed the drink we know today as Southern Comfort in his bar near La Rue Bourbon in New Orleans around the middle of the 19th century. The original labels were signed by Heron himself and carried the phrase, "None genuine but mine." After prohibition, Southern Comfort introduced a new label featuring the now famous lithograph of a Southern plantation house on the banks of the Mississippi. Abridged from: http://www.southerncomfort.com
A man from Boston was in Mississippi visiting family. One day he decided to take a walk around the area when he came across a pit bull terrier attacking a small child. without a moment's hesitation, he ran to the child's aid, grabbed the dog, pulled him from the child, and choked the dog until it was dead.
As the dead animal lay at his feet, a man came running over from the other side of the street. He announced that he was a reporter for a big Mississippi newspaper, and he would make the rescuer famous. "LOUISIANA MAN SAVES CHILD FROM GRUESOME DEATH," would be the headline.
The hero thought that this sounded great, but explained that he was from Boston -- not Mississippi. The next day the headlines of the paper read: "YANKEE KILLS FAMILY PET."
Many people use a variety of mixers with this but my preference is to have it served well chilled with nothing more than a chunk or two of ice - cold ice.
* The Pour *
Southern Comfort pours to a rich, warm, amber colour - slightly darker than most whiskies, with a very noticeable fruity aroma. Peaches? definitely but also oranges and an underlying pure alcohol note. There's no smoky, peaty aroma that you would get from a Scotch-based liqueur.
* The Taste *
It's very thick and sticky, almost syrupy and has a very smooth mouthfeel. The first flavour is a strong fruit sweetness, very orangey and very similar to Cointreau. In fact mix cointreau and peach schnapps and you're halfway there! After the initial sweetness, the bourbon kicks in with a warming, slightly burning sensation. The aftertaste is decidely warm and satisfying.
* The Verdict *
At 40% proof, this is quite strong for a liqueur and should be treated with a certain amount of respect. For people who may find bourbon a bit too harsh, Southern Comfort is a nice introduction. It's not only a good base for a variety of cocktails but also excellent as a relaxing, sipping drink for a lazy summer evening.
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