OMG What Did I Do????!!!???!!!????

Trigger Warning: This episode is all talk talk talk so the cocktail doesn't actually get made until 7:32
Today I make Dae DeGroff's version of an Alabama Slammer, which he grudgingly developed a recipe for because so many people ordered this drink in the late 1970's and early 1980's and he basically had to do it. And that in and of itself is an important lesson in hospitality. But that's for another time. This drink traces it's history to the Dark Ages of Cocktails, a time when ingredients were not really focused on in favor or making overly sweet drinks designed to get people wasted in nightclubs. The most common story is that it was created sometime in the 1970's as a shot (hence slammer) at the University of Alabama. Why did I decide to make this drink then? Well, I had a terrible experience with Southern Comfort as a kid, I have not taken a sip of it since then, and I wanted to see what would happen if I had some? Plus, I wanted to see what I thought of it's flavors now as an adult. I'm constantly getting people to retry Gin after they've had bad experiences so I thought I'd put my money where my mouth is. So the question is....did Leandro Vomit after drinking this cocktail Only one way to find out. Enjoy!
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Here's The Specs:
1oz (30ml) Vodka
.75oz (22.5ml) Sloe Gin
.75oz (22.5ml) Southern Comfort
4oz (120ml) Orange Juice
.25oz (7.5ml) Grenadine Float
Orange Slice and Maraschino Cherry Garnish

[@raphaeldapzol4385]

Brain : "Don't drink Southern Comfort ! *Drinks it* It's not that bad actually..." Liver "Oh boy, here we go again..."

[@garlicgirl3149]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheBearAspirin]

Leandro: This may make me vomit... Marius: Zooms camera in

[@detroitkilljoy5954]

We all have Southern Comfort stories with no good endings

[@garlicgirl3149]

So it isn't just me?

[@jarrettjordan]

Mine involves a lot of SC Hurricanes and falling out of a golf cart at top speed. Good times 😂😂😂

[@chaplint70]

Nope. Triple Sec... don't ask. I was young.

[@NightSkyJeff]

Before I was a beer-drinker, I tried playing "century club" with one shot of SoCo for every eight shots of beer. I did not make it.

[@JasonWindsor88]

Yes & the accompanying SoCo-smelling puke

[@stealthsuit58]

Even though you're not a fan of these "club" cocktails It's really interesting to see you analyse why they don't really do it for you, maybe a series on club cocktails could be cool?

[@garlicgirl3149]

Just for fun! YES!

[@dnddmdb642]

The Leandro torture hour.

[@jamesrightasrain795]

That would be a good thing!

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I’d watch that. Maybe offer a corrected version too

[@Mukawakadoodoo]

Doesn’t Tipsy Bartender do a lot of those?

[@spuppy852]

Wife walks in, "ooh Southern Comfort, my favourite!" 🙄

[@NitroCerber]

Haha, same thing!

[@jakubzidek]

Why is this comment so funny

[@reizak8966]

As a wife, I'm offended by your wife's lack of taste. 🤣

[@reizak8966]

"I never joke about cocktails. Well, maybe Alabama Slammers, but they're absurd." -Hamish Duke, an alcohol aficionado

[@boozeontherocks]

I love the ad-hoc old man southern voice. Southern Comfort is one of those things I usually stay away from. I guess I am going to have to go for it now.....

[@darrenorange2982]

Priceless right 👍

[@elizabethgeorge168]

Anytime Leandro leads with, "I meeeean..." that's how you know he doesn't like it 😆

[@darrenorange2982]

Quality acting with that SoCo maker voice. 🤣

[@LetsTalkDrinks]

I have a regular who orders this weekly, it’s the only way we sell southern :)

[@maybeyourbaby6486]

Idk. I feel like it could make a nice syrup for vanilla ice cream :P

[@Barprints]

My God that's a great flashback! Haven't heard the name Alabama Slammer in YEARS!

[@BrownEyedGirl1367]

Going through your catalog as a new subscriber - when I was very young, I went through a brief Southern Comfort phase because of my devotion to Janis Joplin. I drank it from a beautiful silver flask. I’m old now. I still listen to Janis, but my drink is Islay single malt scotch. Thanks for the memory. 🥰

[@fadnama]

I have a Southern Comfort horror story, too! I was 17 and never puked so much in my life. To this day, if I even smell SC, I gag!

[@danleach9560]

wow that brings back memories - but of a slightly different club cocktail : " A slow comfortable screw" built in the glass fast to get tip and move to next order lol . It was O.J. ,Vodka ,southern comfort ,and sloe gin - no grenadine Those were pretty good actually. Oh and if you added galliano it was "a slow comfortable screw against the wall"

[@kruzfuz]

the grapefruit garnish got me thinking: how about replacing the orange juice with grapefruit juice? could bring some bitterness forward to stand up to the other sweet ingredients. off to the kitchen! :D

[@ziggymack2233]

I love the honesty of this episode

[@stillvisionsmusic]

I remember a 50/50 of Jim Beam and SoCo being a standard bad idea at parties. Would not recommend but it was drinkable.

[@lasalinas1]

the fact that you use fresh pineapple and orange juice compared to most bars that use juice from a can or a box that is packed full of sugars makes a HUGE difference to most of these drinks, adding simple syrup obviously would help make those juices shine a bit more. i honestly image some of these cocktails tasting a bit watery compared to their original recipes

[@YaketyYakDontTalkBack]

Oh, this is a different recipe than what I learned. I learned Sloe gin, Amaretto, OJ, Southern comfort

[@SCP-zp8jz]

The one from Steve the Bartender?

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

Yeah this version is Dale DeGroff’s basic restructure of the drink

[@prccap]

Yes. That was the “Sloe Comfortable Screw”

[@sloanseaman8776]

This may be the first video I've watched end-to-end. Worth it.

[@grapetonenatches186]

Mine was Jack Daniels. A buddy somehow procured a case of it and we each had our own bottle on my birthday🎂. Haven't touched a drop of J.D. since it came back up. Made me believe i didnt like whisky for decades.

[@glenngallegos]

Hahahaha! Southern Comfort is like one's first car. It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done. Then you realize you can do better and upgrade. We've all been there, my friend.

[@grapetonenatches186]

I was like "why do i have two shooters of Southern fkn Comfort on my bar?" Then i remembered this video. Not a bad drink, not terribly good. Thanks for the memories.

[@williamfotiou7577]

One day about 2 years ago, I had a slight cold. I walked over the a neighborhood bar and asked the bartender for a shot of rock and rye, he asked me what century i was from. Lol I'm only in my fifties! 😅

[@junechilkotowsky987]

Director needs to let you do your thing... don't worry about what's in that other bottle... lol

[@spooky6703]

That'd be a great response actually. "What's in that bottle?" "Don't worry about it"

[@TheRockyLeonFan]

I know exactly what you're talking about. As a kid I used to get sick of pear brandy. Since then I can't even touch the fruit. Now I avoid everything pear-related

[@harpercharlie]

Was hoping for a dance number for an opening act, like in the 3-ingredient midori video. But hey, a good personal story works better!

[@nicktheflybradley]

Hi Leandro, I had the "nightmare" spirit when I was 17. Bacardi with Come. Umpteen. Sick as a dog throughout the night. 66 now and never had Bacardi since, though I do use other white rum in my cocktails. Nick from York

[@prccap]

We drank these and Sloe Comfortable screws every night at the clubs in the 2000s. Plus all the variants I.e “up against the wall”

[@claks_cocktails2838]

Those ice cubes were nearly gone by the time you poured!!!! 😂😂

[@AnonYmous-jp8uu]

1986 version tasted better to me than it does now. All I did was squeeze lemon in it. Bangin on a picnic table in KY yes!

[@MrMister805]

Haha dude you’re not the only one. Southern Comfort. Did it myself when I was a teen, struggled with it ever since. I’ve been a bartender

[@MrMister805]

For 20 years. Where’s the amaretto?

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

Did a reconstructed recipe, no amaretto

[@darieng619]

The Alabama Slam was my drink of choice in college. But in those days all I wanted was to get hammered for the least amount of money possible.

[@templar1776]

I've been putting off watching this for almost a year. We're in the same boat my friend. I too, have seen half a bottle of Southern Comfort in reverse. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

[@haileyprough411]

I got excited when he said Rockin’ Rye and I totally thought the Faygo flavor but oh well

[@TheTribalBarGuy]

Man with each video I like this channel more. So Cool!

[@TKGentryArt]

For a second I thought he was going to talk about the soda, faygo Rock n’ Rye. Lol but he was talking about the original drink it was named after.

[@scottyhaines4226]

Vanilla is the seed pod of an orchid that has to be hand pollinated and takes really long to get an actual seed pod and then goes through a lengthy processing system, thusly why vanilla is so expensive.

[@Mattharing]

You arguing with Marius is comic gold

[@Barprints]

Makes the videos so much more fun! 😅

[@mr-vet]

Southern comfort & partially frozen Dr. Pepper is something that was popular when I was younger--in the late 80’s in Indiana.

[@Barprints]

I can see that making a decent highball🤔. Maybe a bit on the sweet side using regular Dr. Pepper and not diet

[@craigkohlbrecher9179]

Continue to enjoy your channel very much. I often share videos with friends.

[@SCP-zp8jz]

Finally some Southern Comfort.

[@surfrat8884]

The dark ages of cocktails haha

[@icanwatchthevideos]

Ok I realize I may be literally insane for pointing this out but Leandro, is there a reason you didn't pour the .75 of the SoCo into the jigger before pouring the .75 of the sloe gin? Is it because sloe gin is a little more viscous and you wanted less of it to stay in the jigger?! Or was there no particular reason at all?

[@DanHelfond]

Alabama Slammer was my go-to drink when I was young and stupid.

[@steveshannon7922]

Sounds like Gus Chiggins recalling the origin of Southern Comfort

[@KnutHelberg]

1/3 Southern Comfort, 1/3 Sloe Gin (find a berry/fruity variant, and drop the grenadine), 1/3 amaretto. Wet shake. Pour over ice and add orange juice. Stir lightly and garnish with orange and cheery

[@KnutHelberg]

Biased, is not a good thing when working for customers... And "think before taste"... that kind of prejudice has put me to shame several times 😆😆😏

[@MikeyB00o]

I used to drink these back in the day.

[@timwendel06]

Your impression is straight Will Ferrell from the Ol' Prospector skit. Excellent.

[@kathygrunstad8701]

In my 20s it was my go to cocktail

[@manifatzigula]

Can you do a Paloma? Had my first one last weekend and really enjoyed it. They used Mezcal instead of tequila though

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

We did one here's a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5CWmWOFjL6IqqM Also did one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKQkIh_ot-fjM0 And Again Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnXGiGR4i9GIrMU

[@manifatzigula]

@@TheEducatedBarfly Holy cow that was quick. How did I fail to find these 😃

[@Sonofamensch]

Honestly, the talk talk talk is nice nice nice.

[@Sonofamensch]

And coffee and chocolate both come from fruits called beans so it's only fair that vanilla suffers the same popular misconception.

[@BelovedNL]

Bought a bottle for €10 to make this cocktail. I just tasted it for the first time and I thought the exact same thing like you: it tastes exactly like candy. Not my kind of thing to be honest, but will make the cocktail soon anyway. I have a bottle of Plymouth Sloe Gin as well so should have a similar experience!

[@johnrock5715]

I have the same southern comfort story!

[@lakoncers13]

I always heard Southern comfort, Amaretto, and Sloe Gin with OJ and Grenadine

[@lourice6077]

I myself admit to vomiting on southern comfort in 1979 and have never gone back! My wife keeps yelling at me this is only good as a shooter!

[@timhughes9330]

It's nice to see you doing classic cocktails. You may think of these as the dark ages of cocktails but these were the norm for like 40 years. Personally I think they are better than what the average person thinks of as tiki drinks. The lowest of low tourist drinks.

[@mkz3r0]

Yeah, I guess everybody has a story about getting to know sweet alcohol too well when they were young. Mine was about Martini Bianco and I drank one and a half bottles. I still get a weird feeling when I smell any kind of vermouth.

[@neutron5000]

If Southern Comfort was good enough for Janis Joplin then it's still not good enough for me way to sweet

[@Gigglebitten]

Iv been waiting for you to cover this one!

[@MyPancho1]

Back in the 70s the poker night guys had a drinking game we played along with the cards. Southern Comfort was a regular spirit in rotation. A shot of it was the signal you were going "all in" lol

[@Darruus]

Roll Tide! You should make a yellow hammer too, another drink from the University of Alabama. Or better yet, an improved version.

[@thebigeasy8609]

Man when I was in the Service back in the early 80's we would pour Southern Comfort into a shot glass up to the line and then top off the shot with Coke Cola use a coaster cut to just cover the shot glass and slam the glass on the table. Drink. Hence Alabama Slammer!

[@thebramble9967]

My favorite takeaway from Cocktail the movie is when they're in the flash New York bar. Tom does his bartenders poem to a packed bar, they flair and make two cocktails. They finish the scene by drinking those two cocktails. No one else is served. In the next scene they're no longer working there. Good reason.

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

😂

[@spookerd]

I'm liking the new thumbnails with various emoting Leandros. Today was Suffering Leandro.

[@crazydubwise]

I understand they put back whiskey in it . Am I wrong?

[@georgiabowhunter]

I drank a bottle of Southern Comfort in an hour playing dice back in 1996. Haven’t touched it since.

[@AnAardvark]

David Embury, in "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" thought SC was one of the finest liqueurs. Unfortunately, it has greatly fallen. I've tried the "re-formulated" version which supposedly is whisky-based again, and in a comparative tasting it was a little less unpleasant, but still not "good". At my house, we use Prichard's Sweet Lucy Bourbon Liqueur instead, which has a similar, but much superior taste.

[@jkkamalani]

Seeing him struggle with the shaker made me feel slightly better about my cocktail making skills. This happens to me on the regular.

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

It’s the sign of a good seal!

[@kellyastleford1169]

I'd be curious what super juice would do to this. Not curious enough to buy Southern Comfort...

[@arkoudiou]

Remember to strain your glassware as well folks! Ice melts! That looked like an ounce of water in the bottom...

[@talgrinvald]

Do a video making a Scarlett O'Hara, it utilizes the Southern Comfort extremely well

[@alundiak]

@The Educated Barfly Has anyone asked if "Licor 43" could be substitute for "Southern Comfort" if it's about Vanilla flavored liquor? What do u think?

[@GrizzAxxemann]

Sadly, I must admit that the better half LOVES the "Dark Ages" cocktails. But she *is* a 90s girl after all. I can honestly say I never had a BAD experience with SoCo. But I sure as hell didn't have any GOOD ones.

[@ethangillese]

That was a superb old-timey southern accent my friend. I also wonder how (if) this drink would improve with replacing the orange with a citric acid balanced orange juice, cause you’re still retaining that orange flavour but it should help balance the southern comfort and grenadine.

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

Yes it would infinitely improve with stronger acid maybe lime acid orange solution or just the addition of a little lime juice and maybe some bitters

[@MrROTD]

Southern Comfort, Orange and Amereto with a cherry is how I know it.

[@timoncellobar]

Okay so would you this one or any cocktail from the Dark Ages fit in on of the six basic cocktails. And if no, would you say these drinks deserve to be cocktails?

[@MrROTD]

I had a real good time drinking these all night circa 1994

[@cocktailswithlele4042]

I made it twice and I agree. It’s really light in flavour.

[@johnestupido1418]

4:15 Remember kids ... forget a clean towel, just use your thumb to clean your bar apperatus.

[@dougbooms5752]

Any suggestions on how to elevate this further while still staying true to the cocktail?

[@gangpardos3833]

Maybe cut that orange juice speck, add 3/4 of an ounce of lemon and lime juice to bring down the sweetness, and maybe replace vodka with a whiskey. You could also shake the grenadine in the tin too

[@penguindrummaster]

Disclaimer: I haven't had an Alabama Slammer. Based on the specs, there's a vanilla spiced whiskey, a bitter berry note from the sloe gin, and citrus topped with grenadine. With this in mind, you could probably do a bourbon (1.5 oz) with Giffard Vanilla du Madagascar or something similar (0.5oz), 0.75oz sloe gin, 1.5oz orange juice, 0.5oz lemon juice. Grenadine float on top. That said, SoCo and Amaretto (traditional Alabama Slammer ingredients) pair extremely well, and to me give a drink a somewhat tropical feel, with a hint of coconut. As such, I'd likely remake it as kind of a rum runner or painkiller. 2oz El Dorado 12yr, 0.5oz creme de cassis or creme de mür, 0.75oz cream of coconut, 1oz orange, 0.75oz lime. For extra flare, you could add one egg white, using a reverse dry-shake (ingredients, shake with ice to chill, strain ice, add egg white to shaker, shake again), then garnish the resulting foam with Angostura aromatic bitters. A slightly tiki variant of the Alabama Slammer. One of the joys of cocktail is experimenting until you find something good 😁

[@janooskerful]

Fascinating info. -so, will you make an "Alabama Balance" meaning this drink with Leandro style balance =more interesting etc.?

[@samk522]

I have a bottle of SoCo, but I have to say, I was surprised and a bit disappointed to see how few cocktails actually call for it. I know it has an awful reputation, but I quite like it and think it has a lot of untapped potential.

[@dougbooms5752]

I laughed so hard at Marius with #NotSponsoredContent. You can hear his dreams of sponsored content leave his body.

[@billwrinkle9662]

The original 1971 recipe (published in a Playboy cocktail guide, I think) I use is much more balanced... 1 part SoCo, 1 part Amaretto, 0.5 parts Sloe Gin, and 0.5 parts lemon juice. Try that instead.

[@sumyupee]

I'd replace the vodka with whiskey maybe? Idk. Maybe split it between gin and whiskey. I know it wouldn't really be the same drink. Vodka is adding mostly alcohol right, not much for flavor.. I'd have to expirimented and see, but I don't know if it's worth buying a bottle of so co to try to make this better.

[@TrickTrades]

"I havent touched SC since I was 13 years old...." LOL! I think that's damn near everyone's story when it comes to SC

[@IbnShisha1]

I haven't watched that since I was a kid (and with similar motivation as Greg) but doesn't he make the Red Eye that Greg made?

[@barbieball]

Sazerac definitely pulled this out of the fire. Still not something I would drink straight. However, I do like the Alabama Slammer.

[@tylarbperez]

Drank a fifth of southern in under 30 seconds when I was 15 and woke up sleeping on top a pile of my shoes 14 hours later

[@Barprints]

That is both sad and really funny. Sorry to laugh at your pain

[@AngelinaSkye1695]

I was taught to make this with 1 shot of amaretto and 1 shot of southern comfort, orange juice and grenadine. I haven't had one for years and I ended up getting a bottle of southern comfort given to me so I thought what the hell and bought some amaretto and drinking an alabama slammer while watching this. I had a nightmare alcohol moment as a teenager. It involved rum and cream soda and later pink vomit lol. Can't stand cream soda to this day and haven't really drank rum since either.

[@siobhanwelly]

How would you elevate the Alabama slammer?

[@seandankers2631]

LOL - my childhood horror story liquor was cognac. We all have one...

[@margefoyle6796]

It's great that you finally got over your hatred of your first poison. Only because you don't need the albatross, not because Southern Comfort is something I would endorse (I thought your first description of it was exactly the way I remember it tasting). It would have been interesting if Marius had tested the southern Comfort and also tasted the Alabama slammer.

[@TheEducatedBarfly]

You can lead a horse to water....

[@Ursaminor31]

My barf trigger is absolute vodka

[@justinjanecka3203]

I thought it was whatever bottle you get drunk to became your addiction? That's what happened to me.

[@grittyshaker]

I made the same mistake with Soco. Haven’t touched it in 20 years

[@JosephTheBurrito]

Why does this drink looks like it needs the southern comfort subbed out and the orange juice reduced and or subbed?

[@child4007]

Tonight I made a soco old-fashioned seltzer with fruit garnish. She was very specific, and drank them all night. Cheers!

[@bernhardrohrer9593]

so how would you fix it? 1 oz of seville orange juice?