Singapore Sling
Gin, cherry liqueur, pineapple and fresh lime layered with Cointreau, Bénédictine, grenadine and aromatic bitters. Fruity and refreshing at first, the Singapore Sling reveals citrus, herbs and gentle bitterness underneath its tropical character.
Singapore Sling Recipe
- Dry gin 30 ml
- Cherry liqueur 15 ml
- Cointreau 7.5 ml
- Bénédictine 7.5 ml
- Pineapple juice 120 ml
- Lime juice 15 ml
- Grenadine 10 ml
- Angostura® 1 dash
- Ice 250 g
- Fresh pineapple 1 wedge, for garnish
- Cocktail cherry 1 piece, for garnish
Make it properly
- Add the gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, grenadine and Angostura Aromatic Bitters to a cocktail shaker.
- Add 150 g ice.
- Shake firmly until thoroughly chilled and lightly aerated.
- Fill a Hurricane glass with approximately 100 g fresh ice.
- Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cocktail cherry. Serve immediately.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD SINGAPORE SLING?
The combination of gin, cherry liqueur and pineapple gives the Singapore Sling its most recognisable character, but the smaller ingredients are equally important.
Cointreau strengthens the citrus character. Bénédictine contributes herbal complexity, while grenadine provides sweetness and helps create the cocktail's characteristic rosy colour.
Fresh lime prevents the fruit and liqueurs from becoming overly sweet, and aromatic bitters provide a final layer of spice.
It is this combination of tropical fruit and classic European liqueurs that makes the Singapore Sling more complex than a straightforward fruit-based gin cocktail.
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SINGAPORE SLING RECIPE, INGREDIENTS & TIPS
The Singapore Sling has a longer ingredient list than many classics, but each component contributes to its distinctive balance. Gin provides the dry botanical foundation, while cherry liqueur, Cointreau and Bénédictine create layers of fruit, citrus, herbs and spice. Pineapple supplies the tropical body, fresh lime brings acidity and grenadine adds sweetness and colour. A dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters finishes the drink with subtle spice and bitterness. Despite the number of ingredients, the finished cocktail shouldn't taste heavy or excessively sweet. It should remain refreshing, fruity and complex.
THE BEST INGREDIENTS FOR A SINGAPORE SLING
Choose a dry gin with enough botanical character to stand up to pineapple and the cocktail's collection of liqueurs.
For the cherry liqueur, use a proper cocktail liqueur rather than cherry syrup. The current IBA specification names Cherry Sangue Morlacco, while Raffles describes the ingredient more generally as cherry liqueur.
Cointreau brings concentrated orange character without adding a large amount of liquid, while Bénédictine contributes the herbal and spiced notes that give the drink additional depth.
Use good-quality pineapple juice and fresh lime juice. Pineapple provides sweetness and texture; lime supplies the acidity needed to keep the cocktail refreshing.
Finish with grenadine for sweetness and colour and a single dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters for aromatic spice.
HOW TO BALANCE A SINGAPORE SLING
Gin forms the backbone but shouldn't dominate. A classic dry gin provides enough botanical structure to remain noticeable beneath the fruit and liqueurs.
Pineapple juice makes up the largest part of the drink. Its sweetness and tropical character need the acidity of fresh lime to stay balanced.
Cherry liqueur adds fruit and depth rather than simply sweetness. At 15 ml, it remains noticeable without turning the cocktail into a cherry drink.
Cointreau and Bénédictine are used in smaller measures. Together they add orange, herbs and spice without overwhelming the gin.
Finally, grenadine and Angostura should be measured carefully. They are supporting ingredients rather than the main flavours.
THE STORY BEHIND THE SINGAPORE SLING
The Singapore Sling is closely associated with the Long Bar at Raffles Singapore, where Raffles dates its creation to 1915 and credits Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon.
According to Raffles, social conventions at the time discouraged women from drinking alcohol publicly. Ngiam created a pink cocktail that visually resembled fruit juice while containing gin and liqueurs.
Raffles notes that today's Singapore Sling differs somewhat from Ngiam's original creation, reflecting how the recipe has evolved during more than a century of service.
The cocktail remains strongly connected with Raffles and Singapore, and the Long Bar continues to serve its famous house drink today.
TECHNIQUE
The Singapore Sling is shaken, which is particularly important because of the large measure of pineapple juice.
A firm shake chills the cocktail while aerating the pineapple, creating the light foam that gives a properly prepared Singapore Sling its attractive surface texture.
Add all ingredients to the shaker together, shake thoroughly with ice and strain into the serving glass. The IBA likewise specifies shaking all ingredients with ice before straining into a Hurricane glass.
SERVE IT PROPERLY
Serve the Singapore Sling in a Hurricane glass with fresh ice.
The tall glass suits the generous volume of the cocktail and gives enough room for its traditional tropical presentation.
Finish with a pineapple wedge and cocktail cherry. Both the IBA and Raffles specify pineapple and cherry as the garnish.
Questions about the Singapore Sling
What is in a Singapore Sling?
The current IBA recipe combines gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, grenadine and Angostura bitters.
What does a Singapore Sling taste like?
It is fruity, tropical and refreshing with underlying botanical, cherry, citrus, herbal and spiced notes. Pineapple is prominent, but lime and gin prevent the drink from becoming simply sweet.
Why does a Singapore Sling contain Bénédictine?
Bénédictine adds herbal and spiced complexity. Only a small quantity is required, but it helps give the Singapore Sling its layered character.