The Notorious Singapore Sling

There’s wild ambiguity around the Singapore Sling cocktail recipe, not only for its dubious origins and character but also for its indistinct ingredients. Perhaps that is why the Singapore Sling has become a classic; being exotic and vaguely untamed at the same time.

The acclaim for the rosey colored cocktail can be attributed to Ngiam Tong Boon who worked at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, which back in the day, was renowned for making the best ‘gin sling’ in town.

Cocktail ingredients; an unresolved business

The Singapore Sling was believed to have appeared on the menu somewhere between 1900 and 1915. The ingredients used for the cocktail then were gin, lemon or lime juice, ice, soda water and most likely cherry brandy. Possibly even a float of red wine, but that remains an unknown to this day.

The drink is also referred to by some as the ‘Straits Sling’, because Singapore was in 1836, grouped with Penang and Malacca to form the Straits Settlements. Over time, Singapore gradually became synonymous with the drink’s rising popularity around the 1920s, so the ‘Singapore Sling’ eventually stuck and the cocktail has retained this moniker ever since.

Unfortunately, the indecision surrounding the cocktail's recipe meant that the Singapore Sling was never left with an exact formula of ingredients, leaving the finality of each individual drink up to the interpretation of the bartender.

Today, venues have been known to start with what is loosely understood as the original ingredients and proportions, and throw in some pineapple juice, splashes of cherry brandy, orange liqueur, grenadine and a couple of dashes of bitters until it hits the right spot.

So in the spirit of reinterpreting and reinventing a classic cocktail recipe, Diageo Bar Academy consulted with the bar manager of Hong Kong S.A.R. China outfit Wyndham the 4th and Diageo World Class finalist, bartender Tom Wood to present three different takes of this historical cocktail. What will your interpretation of the Singapore Sling look and taste like?

Singapore Sling recipe reinventions

1. Classic Raffles Singapore Sling

This rendition of the classic Singapore Sling cocktail recipe aims to retain the drink’s iconic Raffles heritage.

Cocktail ingredients

- 0.75 oz TANQUERAY® London Dry Gin

- 1 tsp orange liqueur

- 1 tsp danish cherry liqueur

- 1 tsp french herbal liqueur

- 0.5 ml lemon juice

- 1 oz pineapple juice

- 1 dash aromatic bitters

Preparation

2. Rich Man’s Sling

The Rich Man’s Sling cocktail recipe is created for the discerning guest who demands a hint more decadence. Testament to Singapore’s changing bar culture and urban environment.

Cocktail ingredients

- 0.75 oz TANQUERAY® London Dry Gin

- 0.25 oz danish cherry liqueur

- 0.25 oz french herbal liqueur

- 0.75 oz lemon juice

- 0.75 oz pineapple juice

Preparation

3. Spice & Sling

This Sling takes its inspiration from across the Indian Ocean to the heart of India. By the early 1900s, a distinct Indian community had formed in Singapore, now known as Little India, and with it brought the influence of exotic spices and colours.

Cocktail ingredients

- 1 oz TANQUERAY® London Dry Gin

- 0.75 oz pineapple & cardamom shrub

- 0.25 oz yellow french herbal liqueur

- 0.25 oz lemon juice

- 0.75 oz pineapple juice

Preparation