Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Alabama Slammer
Start makingSouthern Comfort, amaretto and sloe gin lengthened with orange juice — a sweet, boozy Southern crowd-pleaser.
In the glassSouthern Comfort · Amaretto · Sloe gin · Orange juice
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a highball glass.
The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.
- Standard size
- 350 ml11¾ oz
- Ice & serve
- Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Southern Comfort22 ml
- Amaretto22 ml
- Sloe gin22 ml
- Orange juice90 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Ice the glass Fill the glass with ice
- 02
Measure and pour Pour 22 ml southern comfort
Southern Comfort
- 03
Measure and pour Add 22 ml amaretto
Amaretto
- 04
Measure and pour Add 22 ml sloe gin
Sloe gin
- 05
Measure and pour Add 90 ml orange juice
Orange juice
- 06
Stir around the ice Stir gently to combine
- 07
Finish the drink Finish it — add an orange slice
Know your drink
About the Alabama Slammer
Sloe gin, and the shot
Real sloe gin is gin steeped with sloes, the small bitter fruit of the blackthorn, plus sugar and time. It comes out dark and tannic, with stone fruit and marzipan underneath, and Plymouth and Hayman's both bottle a version around 26 percent. The neon-red American cordials sold under the same name are sweetened neutral spirit with flavoring, and they are the reason this drink has a reputation.
A shot version exists and drops the orange juice, sometimes adding a squeeze of lemon and a sugar rim. It's a different animal, hard and sweet, and it belongs to the same stretch of the 1980s. The tall build here is what makes the three liqueurs legible instead of a single sugary blur.
Common questions
Alabama Slammer FAQ
How strong does this end up?
Stronger than the fruit lets on. Southern Comfort runs about 35 percent, amaretto near 28 and sloe gin somewhere between 15 and 25, so 66 ml of liqueur adds up to roughly a shot and a half of spirit under 90 ml of juice. Measure it out.
What can stand in for sloe gin?
Nothing does the job cleanly, because sloe gin brings tannin and almond alongside the fruit. A raspberry liqueur plus a bar spoon of lemon juice gets you the color and some of the tartness. Cherry brandy is too sweet and will push the glass over the edge.
How do I scale it up for a crowd?
Work in parts rather than milliliters: one part each of the three liqueurs to four parts orange juice. Build it in a pitcher without ice, keep it cold, and pour over fresh cubes so nothing waters down while it sits. A liter of the mix serves about six tall glasses.
Something in here tastes medicinal. What is it?
Usually the sloe gin. Cheap bright-red bottlings are flavored neutral spirit and taste like cough syrup on their own, never mind mixed with amaretto. Switch to a real sloe gin, which is dark purple-brown rather than scarlet, and cut the amaretto to 15 ml so the almond stops dominating.
What ingredients are in an Alabama Slammer?
A classic Alabama Slammer calls for 22 ml (0.75 oz) Southern Comfort, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Amaretto, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Sloe gin, 90 ml (3 oz) Orange juice. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
Is an Alabama Slammer shaken or stirred?
An Alabama Slammer is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.
What glass do you serve an Alabama Slammer in?
Serve an Alabama Slammer in a highball (tall) glass, over fresh ice cubes.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
How to stir a cocktail for a silky finish
Control chilling and dilution without adding the bubbles and texture of a shake.
Read the guide
Cocktail ice: cubes, crushed ice and dilution
Understand why ice is an ingredient—and choose the right shape for every drink.
Read the guide