Slow Comfortable Screw Between The Sheets
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.6% ABV ∙
The Slow Comfortable Screw Between the Sheets stirs vodka, white rum, cognac, Southern-style whisky liqueur, and sloe gin with orange juice over ice. Bright citrus tang softens a smooth, faintly warming blend, its many spirits melting into one mellow, lingering finish rather than standing apart.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Vodka 15 mlWhite rum 15 mlCognac 15 mlSouthern / Louisiana-style whisky liqueur 15 mlSloe gin 15 mlOrange juice 100 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with an orange slice
Tips
- Stir, don't shake — with five spirits and juice already in the mix, stirring keeps the drink clear rather than cloudy.
- Strain into fresh ice after stirring rather than serving over the stirring ice, which is already diluted and blunts the drink.
History
This drink belongs to the Slow Screw family, a group of cocktails named for whichever ingredient is stacked onto a basic Screwdriver. The "Between the Sheets" tag identifies the version built with white rum and cognac, the two defining spirits of the Between the Sheets cocktail, added alongside the family's usual vodka, orange juice, sloe gin, and Southern Comfort.
The family itself began with the Slow Screw, a Screwdriver made with sloe gin instead of gin, generally dated to the disco-era 1970s and 80s. Adding Southern Comfort turned it into the Slow Comfortable Screw, and bartenders subsequently built out a whole naming system in which each added ingredient earns the drink another word, with "Between the Sheets" marking the addition of rum and cognac from that cocktail.
The Between the Sheets itself is usually credited to Harry MacElhone at Harry's New York Bar in Paris around the early 1930s, as a rum-added twist on his Sidecar, though some accounts instead trace it to London's Berkeley Hotel around 1921. Its own origin remains disputed among drink historians.
FAQ
What cocktail is a Slow Comfortable Screw?
A Slow Comfortable Screw Between the Sheets is a five-spirit riff that layers a Southern-style whisky liqueur, white rum, and cognac on top of the classic vodka, sloe gin, and orange juice base, all stirred together.
How do you make a Slow Comfortable Screw Between the Sheets?
Stir vodka, white rum, cognac, a Southern-style whisky liqueur, sloe gin, and fresh orange juice with ice, then strain into an ice-filled Collins glass and garnish with an orange slice.
What is a Slow Screw?
A Slow Screw is simply vodka and orange juice with a splash of sloe gin, and it's the base this drink's name builds on. Here that trio is stirred with white rum, cognac, and a Southern-style whisky liqueur for a much stronger pour.
