Stone fruit, almond and fresh orange, all shaken and poured over ice into a glass the colour of a southern sunset. The Alabama Slammer is unapologetically sweet, but a squeeze of lemon turns it into a surprisingly balanced long drink.
3.2Editors’ rating
Taste3.3
Balance3.1
Easy to make3.7
Popularity30
Reader rating: No reader ratings yet. Be the first.
¼ ozlemon juice optional, to lift the sweetness (optional)
Garnish: Orange slice and cherry · Ice: Ice cubes
Method
Fill a highball glass with fresh ice.
Add Southern Comfort, sloe gin, amaretto, orange juice and lemon juice (if using) to a shaker with ice.
Shake for about 10 seconds.
Strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Link copied
Watch it made
Alabama Slammer
Taste
Sweet and fruity, with plum and cherry from the sloe gin, marzipan from the amaretto and juicy orange. Medium strength, soft and easy.
History and origin
The Alabama Slammer is closely associated with the University of Alabama, and it became one of the signature party drinks of American college towns in the 1970s and 1980s. Its creator and exact date are not documented, and stories linking it to specific bars or football traditions are hard to verify.
The drink combines Southern Comfort, the fruit and spice flavoured whiskey liqueur from New Orleans, with sloe gin and amaretto, which were fashionable liqueurs of the period. It was served both as a tall drink over ice and as a small "slammer" shooter. Many modern bartenders add fresh lemon juice to cut the sweetness, a sensible update that keeps the fruity character.
Bartender tips
Use a proper sloe gin made from sloes, not a cheap artificially flavoured liqueur: it provides the drink's tart plum backbone.
Fresh orange juice matters, bottled juice makes the drink cloying.
As a shooter, halve all quantities and leave out the ice in the glass.
Variations
Alabama Slammer shooter
The same ingredients in half measures, shaken and strained into shot glasses.
Southern Slammer (twist)
Replace the sloe gin with bourbon and add 15 ml lemon juice for a drier, stronger drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is in an Alabama Slammer?
Southern Comfort, sloe gin, amaretto and orange juice. Many modern versions add a little lemon juice.
Is Southern Comfort whiskey?
It is a liqueur made with a whiskey base and fruit and spice flavours, so it is sweeter and lower in alcohol than straight whiskey.
Can I replace the sloe gin?
If you have none, use 20 ml gin plus 10 ml crème de cassis or grenadine, although the flavour will be less authentic.
