Ingredients
- 30 ml Southern Comfort
- 15 ml fresh lime juice or a fresh lime wedge
Instructions
- Pour the Southern Comfort into a chilled shot glass.
- Add the fresh lime juice or squeeze a wedge over the top.
- Drink in one go.
- Garnish: rest a fresh lime wedge on the rim.
Notes
Where it came from
Southern Comfort was created in 1874 in New Orleans by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron, who blended bourbon with peach and citrus liqueurs to mask the rough edges of cheap whiskey. It became a staple of Southern bars and rose to mainstream fame in the 1960s and 70s.
Janis Joplin made the SoCo and Lime famous. She drank Southern Comfort by the bottle, often a full quart per show. The lime wedge was her signature ritual. After her death in 1970, Southern Comfort sent her family a fur coat in thanks for the publicity.
Why lime
Southern Comfort is sweet, peachy and slightly heavy on its own. Fresh lime cuts the sweetness, brightens the citrus notes already in the liqueur, and balances the shot. The lime also signals that this is a shooter, not a sipping pour.
Drink Buddy Exclusive
Tell us what's in your cabinet.
Our Cocktail Builder takes whatever bottles you've got and hands you every drink you can actually make tonight.
Open the Builder →Get the Drink Buddy newsletter
One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.
Plus the recipes we drop before they hit the site. Zero spam.
Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The Southern Comfort
- Use
- Standard Southern Comfort (the white-label original, 35 percent ABV)
- Try
- SoCo 100 Proof for a stronger version
- Skip
- Generic peach-flavoured whiskey, lacks the SoCo character
The lime
- Use
- Fresh lime, juiced or wedged
- Skip
- Bottled lime juice, tastes flat and metallic
- Why
- The fresh aroma of a just-squeezed lime is half the drink
The chill
- Target
- Bottle in the fridge or freezer
- Why
- Cold SoCo is smoother and the lime stays sharper
- Tip
- SoCo will not freeze. Keep it in the freezer permanently if it is your house shot
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Bourbon plus a few drops of peach liqueur. Or a peach-flavoured whiskey at a pinch.
Lemon. Avoid bottled lime juice.
Pour SoCo over ice in a rocks glass with a squeeze of lime. SoCo on the rocks.
SoCo with ginger ale and lime is the SoCo Highball.
Add a teaspoon of grenadine. Sunset shot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is SoCo?
SoCo is the bar shorthand for Southern Comfort, an American whiskey-based liqueur created in New Orleans in 1874. It blends bourbon with peach, citrus and sugar to make a sweeter, smoother spirit than straight whiskey. Bottled at 35 percent ABV.
What is in a SoCo and Lime shot?
Two ingredients: 30ml of Southern Comfort and a squeeze of fresh lime juice (or a fresh lime wedge), served as a chilled shot.
Why is the drink associated with Janis Joplin?
Janis Joplin drank Southern Comfort onstage and offstage, often a full quart per performance. The lime wedge was her signature. Her drinking habit became part of her image, and Southern Comfort gained massive publicity from the association.
Can I make it with bottled lime juice?
You can, but it will taste flat and slightly metallic. The shot is two ingredients, so the lime quality matters. Squeeze a fresh wedge if at all possible.
Is SoCo bourbon?
Not exactly. Southern Comfort uses a whiskey base (originally bourbon, now a blend of grain neutral spirits and whiskey) flavoured with peach, citrus and other natural flavours. It is a flavoured liqueur rather than a straight bourbon.
How strong is a SoCo and Lime shot?
Standard Southern Comfort is 35 percent ABV. A 30ml shot is the same alcohol content as a standard pub measure of vodka or whisky. SoCo 100 Proof (50 percent ABV) makes a much stronger shot.
What is the difference between SoCo and Crown Royal?
Crown Royal is a Canadian whisky. Southern Comfort is an American whiskey-based liqueur with peach and citrus flavouring. Crown is drier and crisper; SoCo is sweeter and softer. Both are popular shot pours.
What food goes with a SoCo and Lime?
Southern food: barbecue, fried chicken, pulled pork, corn on the cob. Also good after a heavy meal as a digestif. The lime cuts through fat.
