Southern Comfort 100 Proof Whiskey
Southern Comfort 100 Proof Whiskey is a 50% ABV (100 proof), 750mL whiskey liqueur — real whiskey infused with fruit and spices to a secret recipe created in New Orleans in 1874. This is the boldest bottling in the core range, bottled half-again stronger than the Original for a more whiskey-forward, peppery profile. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Fruit-flavored whiskey liqueur
- Origin: Created in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 1874
- Base: Real whiskey (restored to the recipe in the 2017 Sazerac reformulation)
- Producer: Southern Comfort (Sazerac Company)
Born in New Orleans in 1874
Bartender Martin Wilkes Heron created Southern Comfort in New Orleans in 1874, blending fruit and spices into the harsh whiskeys of the day to make something smoother — the exact recipe remains a secret to this day. The brand passed from Brown-Forman to the New Orleans-rooted Sazerac Company in 2016, and Sazerac's 2017 reformulation put real whiskey back at the base after a long period in which neutral spirit had taken its place. The 100 Proof bottling is the range's full-strength expression. Browse more American bottles on our whisky shelf, see the liqueurs range, or visit the Southern Comfort vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Buttery almond and baked peach cobbler, turning fruity and toffee-like with air (per professional reviews). Palate: Toasty, semisweet dried fruit — raisin, peach, orange peel and nuts — with clear spirit structure and no raw heat for the proof. Finish: Peppery, warm and lingering, semisweet.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat, on the rocks or as a shot, or use its proof and spice as a cocktail base — it stands up in a Whiskey Sour, an Old Fashioned-style serve or a Manhattan-style serve where lighter liqueurs would disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Southern Comfort actually a whiskey? Not legally — it is a whiskey-based liqueur flavored with fruit and spices, which is why it sits between the whiskey and liqueur shelves. Since 2017 the base has again been real whiskey.
How is the 100 Proof different from regular Southern Comfort? Same recipe family, bottled stronger: 50% ABV versus 35% ABV (70 proof) for the Original, giving a bolder, more whiskey-forward and pepperier drink.
Who invented Southern Comfort? Bartender M.W. Heron in New Orleans in 1874, smoothing rough contemporary whiskey with fruit and spice — a recipe that is still proprietary.
The full-strength New Orleans original — order Southern Comfort 100 Proof online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.