Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling: The Raffles Hotel Classic That Nobody Can Agree On
The Singapore Sling was created between 1910 and 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender at the Long Bar in Singapore's Raffles Hotel. The drink was supposedly designed to be a cocktail that women could drink in public without social stigma, as its pink color made it resemble fruit juice rather than alcohol.
The original recipe was never written down, and Ngiam Tong Boon passed away without recording it. This has led to decades of debate about what the authentic Singapore Sling actually contains. The Raffles Hotel claims to have recreated the original recipe in the 1970s based on notes and memories, but cocktail historians question its accuracy.
What complicates matters is that numerous different recipes appeared in cocktail books throughout the 20th century, each claiming authenticity. Some versions are simple gin sours with cherry brandy, while others include a lengthy list of ingredients including multiple liqueurs, bitters, and fruit juices. The Raffles Hotel's current version uses gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, grenadine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Angostura bitters.
The drink became internationally famous and synonymous with Singapore itself, much like the Mai Tai is with Hawaii or the Mojito with Cuba. During the 1920s through 1950s, it was considered an exotic, sophisticated cocktail that represented colonial luxury and tropical escapism.
What makes the Singapore Sling distinctive is its complexity and fruit-forward character. Unlike cleaner gin cocktails, it embraces multiple flavors and ingredients creating a layered, tropical profile. The cherry liqueur provides the signature pink color and fruity sweetness, while pineapple juice adds tropical notes. The various liqueurs and bitters contribute depth that prevents it from being just a fruity punch.
The drink remains the signature cocktail at Raffles Hotel, where tourists still order it while sitting in the Long Bar, though modern craft bartenders often prefer simpler, less sweet interpretations.
RECIPE:
1½ oz gin
½ oz cherry liqueur (Cherry Heering)
¼ oz Cointreau
¼ oz Bénédictine
4 oz pineapple juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
⅓ oz grenadine
1 dash Angostura bitters
Pineapple slice and cherry for garnish
Method:
Add all ingredients to shaker with ice
Shake well until chilled
Strain into ice-filled hurricane or highball glass
Garnish with pineapple slice and cherry