Although peaches actually come out in the summer, this Southern Comfort Peach Smash always reminds me of Autumn.
I believe that it is because of the Southern Comfort, which combines with fresh muddled peach slices in a wonderful way.
The flavor is fresh, yet smoky – fruity and spicy. If you love peach drinks, you’ve really got to try it.
Enjoy a Southern Comfort Peach Smash
This cocktail is easy to make but tastes and appears complex.
It really captures the freshness of summertime with the apple peach cider and fresh apples and peaches themselves.
It’s so good you can multiply the recipe and serve it by the pitcher or by the punch bowl.
It’s also a lovely beverage to serve to guests at an Autumn party or dinner.
It even fits right in with Halloween (especially if you carve a little face into your peach/apple garnish).
But even though this cocktail can dress up nicely for the festivities, there is nothing pretentious about it.
This SoCo Peach Smash is yummy – and simple enough to enjoy while watching movies on a quiet evening at home, too.
In fact, this drink pairs nicely with a good horror movie.
Why? Because it’s so good, it’s scary!
I’ll be here all night.
Try the veal. Be sure to tip your waiter.
What is Southern Comfort?
Southern Comfort, also known as “SoCo” is a grain alcohol from New Orleans.
It has a touch of sweetness to it, likely from the fruit it’s made with, peaches.
There are several traditional cocktail recipes made using Southern Comfort.
Some of my favorite Southern Comfort drinks are the Alabama Slammer, the Southern Hurricane, the Scarlett O’Hara, and the Rhett Butler.
You no doubt see the southern theme….
What does Southern Comfort taste like?
You can definitely taste the peaches in Southern Comfort.
I also pick up a bit of vanilla and spices too.
And of course, since it’s a grain, it resembles a sweetened bourbon.
It blends so well with other fruit juices and ingredients.
In fact, it’s absolutely delicious in lemonade too.
And of course, in the winter, it’s delicious to mix with eggnog.
Is Southern Comfort a whiskey or a liqueur?
When you pour a couple of fingers of SoCo in a glass, you’ll notice it’s amber color and may assume that it is a whiskey.
When you smell it, it smells like a whiskey.
But it may actually be a liqueur.
There’s a bit of debate about what it actually is.
There’s an interesting history of what exactly Southern Comfort is because its recipe has changed a few times.
It’s said that Southern Comfort started out in the late 1800s in New Orleans as a bourbon infusion with lemon, cinnamon and other spices, and some oranges.
But as the brand grew, the bourbon was replaced with a neutral grain alcohol.
There was only a teensy bit of whiskey left in the recipe to provide just a hint of whiskey flavor.
But as recently as 2017, the Southern Comfort label was sold, and the new owners restored whiskey as the base of the spirit.
So do you call Southern Comfort a flavored whiskey, or do you call Southern Comfort a liqueur with a whiskey base?
The jury is out, but now that you know the story, you’ll be ready for trivia night at the pub.
Pass the beer nuts, Norm.
Ingredients you need to make a Southern Comfort Peach Smash
- Southern Comfort (or bourbon if that’s what you have)
- Martinelli’s Apple Peach Sparkling Cider
- Peach
- Apple
- Ice
You’ll also need a cutting board, knife, mixing glass, a muddling stick, a bartending spoon, a strainer, and a beverage glass.
If you multiply the recipe, you’ll need a pitcher.
Note: You may substitute sparkling apple cider if you don’t have the apple peach sparkling cider.
It will change the flavor a little bit, but it will still be delicious.
Can I make a Peach Smash without alcohol?
Yes.
You’ll leave out the Southern Comfort.
There’s two ways you can enjoy a peach smash as a mocktail.
The first is to simply omit the SoCo and just smash the peaches and add a bit more sparkling cider.
But if you want to add a touch of sweetness that you’d get from having the SoCo in the drink, you can add a teaspoon of peach syrup or peach puree.
How to make a SoCo Peach Smash
You’ll begin by slicing your peaches.
If you’ll be serving the drink right away, you may go ahead and slice your apple too.
If not, wait until it’s time to serve the drink to slice the apple so that it doesn’t turn brown.
Fill your beverage glass with ice.
Put your peaches in the bottom of the mixing glass and press them with your muddling stick to smash them.
Pour the Southern Comfort over the top of the peaches, give them a bit of a stir, and if you need to, muddle them again.
Stir again.
There are two ways to do the next step depending on your preferences.
The first option is to simply pour the peach mixture over the ice if you wish to have the muddled fruit in the drink.
If you don’t want to have pieces of fruit in the drink, place a cocktail strainer over the top of the mixing glass.
Then pour the mixture over the ice.
The strainer will catch the larger pieces of peaches.
Next, you’ll top up the drink with the Apple Peach Sparkling Cider.
Add some peach and apple slices for garnish, and you have a delicious drink.
Note: You may use frozen peaches for this recipe.
You will want to let the peaches you intend to muddle thaw enough that you can mash them well.
However, keeping some peaches frozen to put in the drink along with your ice cubes is a great way to add some extra flavor to your drink while helping keep it cold.
More peach drinks to enjoy:
Blackberry Peach Vodka Cocktail
Peach and Cherry Pie Moonshine Smash
Basil Peach Moonshine Cocktail
More delicious drinks to make with fresh fruit:
We love making drinks with fresh ingredients. We have quite a few recipes that use fresh fruit, and these are some of our favorites.
Blackberry Fireball Whiskey Fizz
try it and share!
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You may enjoy following our Pinterest Boards, Whiskey Recipes and Bourbon Recipes.
Southern Comfort Peach Smash
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Measuring cup or jigger
- Mixing Glass
- Muddling Stick
- Beverage Glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz Southern Comfort (Or Bourbon)
- 4 oz Martinelli's Apple Peach Sparkling Cider
- Peach Slices, divided To put in the drink and for garnish
- Apple Slices for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Muddle some of your peaches in the bottom of a mixing glass.
- Add Southern Comfort to the peaches and stir.
- Fill an old fashioned or rocks glass with ice and pour the mixture over the ice.
- Top up the glass with Martinelli's Apple Peach Sparkling Apple Juice.
- Garnish with peach and apple slices and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.
I just love peaches, and this drink really hit the spot. We’ve got hot houses peaches already available here, and these were so good!