I’ve been craving orange juice lately, and where better to imbibe a little extra OJ than in a yummy cocktail.

The Sloe Comfortable Screw is an obvious play on the traditional screwdriver. I grew up drinking vodka and lime, not orange juice, but vodka and citrus generally pair well, and I’m willing to give any playful cocktail a try.

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz. sloe gin
• 3/4 oz. Southern Comfort
• 1 oz. vodka
• 8 oz. orange juice (or to taste)

Fill serving glass with 4 or 5 ice cubes. Combine ingredients and stir gently in shaker. Pour over ice and garnish with an orange slice. (We were feeling cheeky, so we garnished each drink with a cherry as well as a navel orange, and presented the drink in a wine glass for a touch of ironic romance.)

The verdict: This cocktail is super smooth in these proportions. The fruit flavours in the sloe gin and Southern Comfort complement the orange juice nicely, reducing the acid hit but not overtaking the juice with sweetness. If you want a stronger taste of the alcohol, you can reduce the OJ to 5 oz, but we found this recipe perfect for a late afternoon sip over snacks.

Bonus! According to my cocktails reference book, if you want to up the ante, you can make a Sloe Comfortable Screw Against the Wall by topping the above recipe with 2 tsp. of Galliano (the key ingredient in a Harvey Wallbanger). And if you prefer Sloe Comfortable Sex on the Beach, replace half of the orange juice with cranberry cocktail. Have fun!