First things first: What is SoCo? SoCo is an abbreviation for Southern Comfort, which is a type of fruity, flavored whiskey. Knowing the full name of this liquor will help you find this drink recipe’s main ingredient at the store, since SoCo is just a nickname. 

Now, let’s take care of some of your other burning questions about this beverage: What does SoCo taste like? What kind of alcohol is SoCo? 

SoCo is a liqueur that is flavored naturally with fruit and spices. Many refer to it as whiskey, as we just did above, but it doesn’t quite qualify; whiskey was the base liqueur in the original recipe, which is top secret to this day. SoCo is made from grain-based neutral spirits that are often used in liqueurs, but this liqueur includes flavors reminiscent of cinnamon, clove, cherry, and orange. 

We don’t think we’ll be getting the carefully guarded SoCo recipe anytime soon, so we’ll let you make your own tasting notes and decide what you think is in it. Many think it tastes like caramel, but try this SoCo shot recipe to taste it yourself. While you’re at it, you may want to prepare some of your favorite Southern foods to go with the evening’s theme.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Cooking time: None

Total time: 3 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients 

• 1 ounce of Southern Comfort 

• 1 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice

Glassware 

• Shot glass

Preparation instructions 

1. Add the SoCo and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. 

2. Shake well, then strain the liquid into a shot glass. Shoot back and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bar None Drinks

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Variations

SoCo cocktail

As with most shots, you can scale up the ingredients to make a cocktail. The SoCo shot is no different. You can turn up the alcohol content a notch by adding 2 ounces of Southern Comfort for 1 ounce of lime juice. Alternatively, you can keep the ratios the same, meaning that for every 2 ounces of Southern Comfort, you’d add in 2 ounces of lime juice. Shake with ice and strain as shown above. Remember that this cocktail will be as strong as two shots. 

Southern hurricane

This drink isn’t a variation of the SoCo shot with lime given above, but it is a cocktail containing this caramelly liquor and citrus flavors. This cocktail recipe uses sweet-and-sour mix instead of lime juice. Sweet-and-sour mix is made from lemon-lime flavoring and sweetener. so if you want a complex drink that still contains SoCo and lime, a Southern Hurricane is for you. 

To make this beverage, combine 1½ ounces of SoCo, 1½ ounces of sweet-and-sour mix, 1 ½ ounces of orange juice, 1½ ounces of pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine to a hurricane glass or other tall cocktail glass with plenty of ice. Stir gently to combine the flavors. Top with a maraschino cherry and orange slice.

Alabama slammer

This fruity drink contains the complex flavors of SoCo and the nutty essence of amaretto for a surprisingly strong delight. If lime isn’t your thing, this is a much better way to introduce your taste buds to SoCo cocktails. 

To make, combine 1 ounce of SoCo, 1 ounce of amaretto (like Disonarro), 1 ounce of sloe gin, and 2 ounces of orange juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. After shaking well, strain the drink into a tall cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with an orange slice and cocktail cherry. 

Bartender’s note: What is sloe gin? This variety of gin is a distant cousin of the gin you’re accustomed to shaking up in a martini. It is made from sloe fruit (similar to plums) and is technically a liqueur because of it’s low alcohol content. Sloe gin is a vibrant red color because it’s infused with fruit, making it easy to tell sloe gin apart from regular gin. 

Scarlett O’Hara

Upgrade your SoCo and lime cocktail with a splash of cranberry juice. To make this Gone With the Wind themed beverage, first add ice to Collins glass or another tall cocktail glass. Then, add in 2 ounces of SoCo and one-half ounce of lime juice. Stir the drink gently with a bar spoon or a straw to combine the flavors. Top up the cocktail with some cranberry juice, filling the rest of the glass. Garnish the cocktail with a lime slice.

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Are you ready to try out some SoCo mixology on your next game night? Or perhaps the game can be trying to guess what goes into this mysterious liqueur. Whatever the case, Gopuff is here to help. You can order everything you need, including basic bar tools, in seconds and receive your items at your door in a matter of minutes.