Southern Comfort Black is all grown up - maybe your pairings should follow suit

Remember the first time you had a classic Southern Comfort and lime? Young Sylvia thought she was “well fancy”, traversing Hatfield Square with her superior tipple, while her mates downed their lowly bottled cooler counterparts. Sipping whiskey, while swaying to hip hop underneath plastic palm trees gave me a lofty view of myself.

Now, years - and better haircut choices - later we have matured but some of us still hold whiskey dear. Luckily, the snazzy new grown-up variant of Southern Comfort Black has finally hit our shores. It is the brainchild of master blender Drew Mayville, who mixed whiskeys sourced from Sazerac’s North American reserves at the company’s legendary distillery in Buffalo Trace, Kentucky.

Mayville’s new blend puts its gruff whiskey foot forward, while playing with the iconic brand’s signature notes of fruit and spices. It packs a mighty punch in the back of the throat - in a good way - yet manages to slide down smoothly.

If you are gripped by nostalgia, why not make your own lime syrup with the recipe below?

Ingredients:

160ml lime juice, freshly squeezed

330g caster sugar

125ml water

Method:

1. Put the juice, sugar and water into a small saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Bring to a quick boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 1 minute.
4. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow to cool before you add a dash to the bottom of a ice-filled glass.

Alternatively, you could always go for a more zesty take on the classic drink with a new tonic range that packs a whole lot of flavour. 

Clark & Sons is on the sweeter side of the tonic spectrum (although they also have a sugar-free offering). Each can has its own unique personality - the drink in the pink one has hints of rose and the Indian tonic has elements of classic lime.

Either way, you’re in for a party worth remembering – plastic palm trees from Pretoria not included.