Alabama Slammer

The Alabama Slammer was probably invented at the University of Alabama in the 1970s, and in its original incarnation was a shot, not a full-blown cocktail. The slammer in its name is also derived from its former form. “To slam a drink …” translates as to exen a drink, that is, to drink it in one go. Its sweet ingredients mask its high alcohol content, which is why it became a symbol of the club scene.

The taste of the cocktail is reminiscent of a sweetened iced tea made from oranges and peaches, which is mainly due to the orange juice, sloe gin and Southern Comfort. Tom Cruise immortalized the drink in the movie Cocktail (1988) with the quote, “I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make, Americans getting stinky on something I stir or shake, The Sex on the Beach, the Schnapps made from peach, The Velvet Hammer, The Alabama Slammer.”