Southern Comfort Original
New Orleans, Louisiana
The current 35% bottling lists barley, fruit, spices and sugar, and monopoly listings give about 103 to 113 g/L, roughly half the sugar density of most liqueurs here.
- Ingredients / botanicals
- Spices, Fruit, Barley, Water, Sugar
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Low
- Tannins
- Low
- Sugar
- Moderate
- Additives
- High
- Calories
- 106
- Sugar
- 5g
12.3g ethanol at 35% ABV. 86 from alcohol, 20 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓Much lower sugar density than most liqueurs
- ✓35% strength
What to watch
- !Barley is listed as a raw material
- !Fruit and spice flavouring is not itemised
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Moderate ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives High ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Southern Comfort is much less sweet than its reputation. Vinmonopolet lists the 35% bottling at 113.1 g/L, about 5g in a 1.5oz pour, with a second listing at 103 g/L, and the derived total is roughly 106 calories.
Barley appears among its listed raw materials, which is why it is marked as not gluten-free here.
Southern Comfort Original questions
How many calories are in a shot of Southern Comfort Original? ▾
About 106 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 35% ABV. 86 come from the alcohol and 20 from carbohydrate.
Does Southern Comfort Original have sugar? ▾
Yes, about 5g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Southern Comfort Original gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Southern Comfort Original is not labelled gluten-free (it is made from barley-based spirit with fruit and spices), so coeliacs should check with the producer before drinking it.
What is Southern Comfort Original made from? ▾
Southern Comfort Original is made from barley-based spirit with fruit and spices. Its botanicals include Spices, Fruit, Barley, Water, Sugar.
What proof is Southern Comfort Original? ▾
Southern Comfort Original is 70 proof, which is 35% alcohol by volume.
Does Southern Comfort Original give you a bad hangover? ▾
Southern Comfort Original scores 5/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 7/10 for liqueur overall. The main drivers are its additives.