Alabama Slammer

Alabama Slammer that tastes modern, not syrupy

The Slammer as it is usually poured — equal parts Southern Comfort, amaretto, sloe gin and orange juice — is sweet enough to become cloying by the third sip. The fix is not to remove the fruit; it is to give the sugar something to push against. A quarter ounce of lemon juice and a slightly restrained pour of amaretto are enough to turn it into a proper highball.

What the three spirits are for

An ounce of Southern Comfort brings peach and a whiskey base, and it is the drink’s identity; without it you have an amaretto sour. An ounce of amaretto supplies almond and marzipan, so drop it to three-quarters of an ounce if your bottle leans sweet. An ounce of sloe gin adds red berry and a tart, faintly gin-like backbone that stops the whole thing tasting like dessert.

Where the balance comes from

Two ounces of fresh orange juice gives body more than flavour, so it need not be the star. A quarter ounce of lemon juice is the hinge: it lifts the citrus and stops the amaretto coating the tongue. Shake everything hard for ten to twelve seconds, because the juice has to be beaten into the liqueurs, then strain over fresh ice in a highball.

Strength and sweetness

Roughly 18% ABV and around 260 calories — a long drink that is sweeter than a whiskey sour and stronger than it tastes.

Common faults

• Equal parts of everything, which produces a syrupy glass with no finish.
• Skipping the lemon because the drink already contains orange juice.
• Topping with more orange juice instead of letting the ice dilute the drink.

Riffs worth making

Swap the Southern Comfort for peach schnapps and the drink lightens into something like a Fuzzy Navel with opinions. Add half an ounce of cranberry juice and it turns pink and drier. For a party, stir the spirits with an equal volume of water and add the juices glass by glass.

More cocktails to try

• Sex on the Beach
• Sangria
• Blue Lagoon

Is an Alabama Slammer supposed to be sweet?

It is a sweet drink by design, but it should still finish clean. If the sweetness lingers on the tongue, add lemon rather than removing liqueur.

Can you make it as a shot?

Yes: shake equal parts of the three spirits with a barspoon of lemon and strain into a shot glass. That is a different, much stronger drink.