Singapore Sling
Gin, cherry liqueur, pineapple, lime and a few spiced liqueurs. Long, fruity and pink, in the Raffles Hotel style.
- MethodShaken
- GlassHurricane or poco grande glass
- IceCubes
- Strengthabout 9.4% ABV
- BaseGin, Liqueur-led
- Tastefruity, sweet, sour
Recipe
| 30 ml 1 oz | London dry gin |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Cherry liqueur (cherry brandy) |
| 7.5 ml ¼ oz | Orange liqueur (triple sec) |
| 7.5 ml ¼ oz | Bénédictine |
| 90 ml 3 oz | Pineapple juice |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lime juice |
| 7.5 ml ¼ oz | Grenadine (pomegranate syrup) |
| 1 dash | Aromatic bitters (Angostura-style) |
| Top up: 30 ml 1 oz | Soda water (optional) |
Garnish. A wedge of pineapple and a cherry on a pick.
Method
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Shake everything except the soda hard with ice for 12 to 15 seconds; the pineapple juice will foam.
- Strain into the glass over fresh ice.
- Top with a splash of soda if you like, then garnish.
About the Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling as most bars make it today is long, pink and fruity: gin and cherry liqueur with pineapple, lime, orange liqueur, a herbal liqueur, grenadine and bitters. It is sweet but balanced by the lime and the bitters. Older recipes were much simpler and drier: gin, cherry liqueur, citrus and soda.
History
Earliest record 1922: Robert Vermeire, Cocktails: How to Mix Them, London (as Straits Sling)
Documented
Gin slings were common drinks in Singapore by the 1890s, and pink slings are mentioned in Singapore newspapers in the early 1900s. The earliest known printed recipe for this drink is the "Straits Sling" in Robert Vermeire's Cocktails: How to Mix Them (London, 1922): gin, cherry brandy, Bénédictine, lemon, bitters and soda, with no pineapple. The pineapple and grenadine version now served at the Raffles Hotel appears to date from the 1970s.
Legend and lore
The Raffles Hotel credits its bartender Ngiam Tong Boon with inventing the drink at the Long Bar, usually dated to 1915. He did work there, but no recipe or menu from his time survives, and the hotel's current recipe was reconstructed much later.
Disputed or unclear: The date and inventor at Raffles are not documented; the precise make-up of the original drink is unknown.
Variations
- Straits Sling. The early form: gin, cherry liqueur, Bénédictine, lemon and bitters, topped with soda, no pineapple.
- Gin Sling. The old basic sling: gin, sugar and water or soda, with nutmeg.
- Tom Collins. Gin, lemon, sugar and soda; a plain long gin drink.
Bartender's notes
- Shaking pineapple juice hard gives the drink a light foam on top, which is how it should look.
- Cherry liqueurs vary a lot in sweetness; adjust the grenadine to taste.
