Founded in 1874 in New Orleans by Martin Wilkes Heron, the original form of Southern Comfort whiskey-based liqueur was called Cuffs and Buttons. Heron moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1889, patented his creation and began selling it with the slogan “None Genuine But Mine”. This slogan is still printed on each bottle today, if you look carefully enough.
Heron died in 1920 (the same year prohibition began), though before this he had only revealed his secret recipe to one person, his assistant Grant M. Peoples, who then took over the business. Since March 2016 the brand has been owned by the Sazerac Company.
One of the earliest Southern Comfort-based cocktails to be marketed was the Scarlett O'Hara, named after the character and created for the release of the film adaptation of Gone with the Wind in 1939. The cocktail includes Southern Comfort (obviously), cranberry juice, and fresh lime.