Singapore Sling Cocktail

One of the most iconic gin cocktails has to be the Singapore Sling. It boasts an inviting pink color, an exotic sweet-and-refreshing flavor, and, of course, some disagreement about the original recipe. This refreshing long drink was invented at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and can be considered an early Tiki-style cocktail.

How Do You Make a Singapore Sling?

The Singapore Sling is made with gin, cherry brandy, D.O.M. Bénédictine, Angostura bitters, pineapple juice, and grenadine syrup, topped with soda water. It was first created sometime between 1889 and 1915 by a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon, who worked at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. There is little controversy over who created the Singapore Sling, but there is considerable debate about the cocktail’s original name and ingredients.

Singapore Sling Ingredients

• 45 ml Damrak Gin

• 15 ml Bols Cherry Brandy

• 10 ml Bols Triple Sec

• 10 ml D.O.M. Bénédictine

• 50 ml Pineapple Juice

• 15 ml Lime Juice

• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

• 1 bar spoon Grenadine Syrup

• Splash of Soda Water

Singapore Sling Glassware and Equipment

• Highball Glass

• Cocktail Shaker

• Jigger

• Strainer

Singapore Sling Recipe

1. Pour all ingredients except the soda water into a cocktail shaker.

2. Fill the shaker two-thirds full with ice cubes.

3. Shake for approximately 10 seconds and strain into a highball glass filled with ice.

4. Top up with soda water.

5. Garnish with a lemon peel and a cocktail cherry.

Sweet Yet Balanced

According to the recipe above, the Singapore Sling is a sweet yet well-balanced cocktail. It can be regarded as an early example of a Tiki cocktail, but instead of rum as the base spirit, gin is used. The fruity and sweet notes of the liqueurs come alive through the fresh lime and pineapple juice, while a splash of soda water adds a refreshing sparkle.

The gin, together with the D.O.M. Bénédictine, provides spicy and robust flavors. The drink’s beautiful pink hue gives it a festive and elegant appearance.

History of the Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling was undoubtedly created in Singapore at the Raffles Hotel sometime between 1889 and 1915. There are many theories about why these particular ingredients were chosen and how the cocktail received its name. What we do know is that its inventor was the Chinese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, who worked at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel from 1889 to 1915.

At the time, the Gin Sling, a cocktail made with gin, lemon, sugar, and soda water, was a popular gin drink. The Singapore Sling was Boon’s variation on this classic cocktail.

In the 1930s, recipes for both the Singapore Sling and the Straits Sling appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book (Harry Craddock, 1930). The Singapore Sling was described as a cocktail containing gin, cherry brandy, lemon juice, and soda water. The recipe for the Straits Sling more closely resembles the modern Singapore Sling, as it includes D.O.M. Bénédictine, Angostura bitters, and orange bitters.

Since the 1970s, the Raffles Hotel has actively promoted itself as the birthplace of the Singapore Sling. The low point of this marketing campaign came when the Raffles cocktail bar began making the drink using a pre-made cocktail mix, which guests could also purchase in the gift shop. Since 2012, however, the famous Long Bar has once again prepared the Singapore Sling according to the original Raffles Hotel recipe, using fresh ingredients.

Singapore Sling Recipe Variations

Cocktails with many ingredients do not always lend themselves well to variations. Omitting a single ingredient often has only a limited effect on the final flavor. On the other hand, swapping one ingredient in a three-ingredient cocktail can have a dramatic impact. To create interesting Singapore Sling variations, we focus on bold flavors that stand out in the finished drink.

Variation 1 – Change the Base Spirit

This recipe uses Damrak Gin, an exceptionally smooth gin with pronounced citrus notes. To give your Singapore Sling a more complex, malty character, you can replace the gin with Bols Genever Original. This adds an entirely new dimension to the recipe.

Variation 2 – Modify the Modifiers

A modifier is a cocktail ingredient, usually alcoholic and often a fortified wine or liqueur, that both softens the base spirit and adds flavor to the drink.

In the Singapore Sling, the modifiers are D.O.M. Bénédictine, Triple Sec, and Cherry Brandy, which contribute spicy, citrus, and cherry notes. You can experiment by replacing the spicy notes with the wonderfully complex flavors of Galliano L’Autentico, which introduces hints of star anise and vanilla to your Singapore Sling.

The Triple Sec and Cherry Brandy can also be substituted with many other Bols liqueurs. Always consider whether the new flavors complement the finished cocktail. For example, Bols Ginger is an excellent replacement for Triple Sec.

Variation 3 – Change the Fruit Juice

Changing the fruit juices will completely transform the cocktail’s flavor profile. If that is not an issue for you, try replacing the lime juice with lemon juice and the pineapple juice with grapefruit juice to see how dramatically the cocktail changes.

Because grapefruit juice introduces bitterness, I would omit the Angostura bitters in this version.