Recipe: Singapore Sling
The iconic Singapore Sling was invented at the famed Raffles Hotel in Singapore around 1915, and the Long Bar there still seems to be cranking them out over 100 years later. Reportedly one of Hunter S. Thompson’s favorite cocktails, the Singapore Sling doesn’t get much play in many bars, and it’s easy to see why: It can be quite bitter and unbalanced, and needs a bit of doctoring to liven things up.
To that end, here’s our rendition of the Sling, one which uses more pineapple juice and sweetens things up a bit to give it more of a tropical flair, while keeping the drink’s iconic herbal ingredients — including Benedictine — well-represented. Some versions of the Sling also include soda, which is really more of a matter of personal taste. (I prefer it without.)
Drinkhacker’s Singapore Sling
3 oz pineapple juice
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz cherry liqueur (we used Cerasum in lieu of the usually specified Cherry Heering)
.5 oz grenadine
.25 oz simple syrup
.25 oz triple sec
.25 oz Benedictine
.25 oz lime juice
dash Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients and strain into a Collins or hurricane glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of pineapple.
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Like most classic drinks, the Singapore Sling has a pretty murky origin. This recipe combines a lot of the ingredients that the Long Bar at the Raffles added over the years (pineapple juice, grenadine, curacao) but probably doesn’t much resemble the original 1915 drink.
I personally much prefer the recipe that was published in a Singaporean newspaper in 1913 and has been subsequently dubbed the “Singapore Cricket Club Sling”. 1 oz each London dry gin, Benedictine, Cherry Heering & lime juice, with 2 dashes Angostura bitters, built in an iced Collins glass and topped with 2 oz soda water.
To split the difference, I’ve also made it with pineapple infused gin, which is a nice twist and a nod to subsequent versions.
I’m sure your readers are smart and it doesn’t need saying but just in case: do not use cheap kirschwasser as a sub for Heering.