Drinks in History

THE SINGAPORE

SLING

ppearing on cocktail menus around the world, the legend a ary Singapore Sling is a classic often interpreted and served in varying styles. While the exact year is open to debate, most agree that the drink was first created by a Hainanese-Chinese bartender by the name of Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar in Singapore. Ngiam is believed to have first mixed up his Sling sometime between 1910 and 1915 however his original recipe was lost. In the middle of the 20th century the original creator’s nephew modified the recipe, which is now the base for the modern Singapore Sling. The classic version of the cocktail is typically made with a mixture of gin, Dom Benedictine, cherry brandy in equal parts with a dash of bitters and Cointreau and finished with a splash of grenadine, pineapple and lime juices. Most modern recipes substitute bottled pineapple juice for fresh and add soda water for foam. By the 1980’s the Singapore Sling recipe had diminished to a quick mixture of gin, bottled sweet and sour and grenadine usually blended instead of shaken to create the foamy top. Since then, the drink continues to be served as a foamy fruit punch concoction presented in a Collins glass and drinkers will conjure up a certain image of it even though this is not at all the original.

Although we may never know the exact original, the following recipe is believed to be the closest interpretation of the classic. Remember to use quality ingredients and give it a try.

Singapore Sling

IngredIents

1 oz. Bombay Sapphire 1/2 oz. Bols Cherry Brandy 3 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1/4 oz. Benedictine 1/4 oz. Cointreau 1/2 oz. Grenadine Dash of Angostura bitters

PreParatIon

Shake all with ice and strain into a Collins glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple and cherry.

Fun Fact: It is believed that the original Singapore Sling was intended as a woman’s drink, hence the pink hue. Today, it is enjoyed by all and served on all Singapore Airlines flights. If you are lucky enough to visit Singapore you must order one. It’s the obvious equivalent of ordering a Guinness in Dublin or a Manhattan in Manhattan.

Variation To give your sling a modern twist, use Bombay Sapphire East instead of Bombay Sapphire in your Singapore Sling recipe.