Southern Comfort Has Whiskey Added Back After A Long Period Without

Southern Comfort. A favorite well drink used in the creation of many cocktails. The brand was first founded back in 1874 in New Orleans. Whiskey was, at one time, a core ingredient in its mix, but that was replaced with neutral grain spirits some time ago. Now, Sazerac, its parent company, looks to bring the drink back to its roots by reintroducing this key part of its formula.

The revamped Southern Comfort, according to those behind it, will bring whiskey back into the original blend that also includes fruits and spices. It was not disclosed from where Sazerac would specifically source this whiskey, or what age it might be, but suffice to say it will likely be from their own vast stocks of American whiskey.

In addition to bringing whiskey back into the fold, Sazerac is also doing some tinkering with the brand itself. Specifically they are introducing a whiskey-forward 80 proof black label expression, in addition to the existing 70 proof and 100 proof bottlings. The bottles have been made taller and slightly narrower and will retain their longstanding iconic fluted shoulders plus the signature of the creator, M.W. Heron.  An upscale cap also adds to packaging enhancements, along with new label designs which better represent the brand’s whiskey credentials and New Orleans affiliation.

“We’re incredibly excited about our plans to strengthen Southern Comfort’s position as an iconic global whiskey brand for the next fifty years,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer, Sazerac Company, in a prepared statement. “We believe Southern Comfort can be a 10 million case brand one day.”

As Southern Comfort is a bottom shelf drink, little has changed in its pricing schemes despite the reintroduction of whiskey. The black label, which will debut this summer, will be around $18, while the 70 proof and 100 proof bottlings will price around $16 and $20, respectively.