Singapore Sling recipe
A bright, tropical gin cocktail with cherry liqueur, citrus, pineapple, bitters, and a splash of soda.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Hurricane glass ·
Time: 5 min ·
Difficulty: Advanced ·
Family: Tiki & Tropical
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Gin (London Dry)
- 0.5 oz Cherry Heering
- 0.25 oz Cointreau
- 0.25 oz Benedictine
- 4 oz Pineapple juice
- 0.5 oz Fresh lime juice
- 0.25 oz Grenadine
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
How to make a Singapore Sling
- Chill a hurricane glass, then fill it three-quarters full with fresh cubed ice so the finished Sling stays cold without becoming watery.
- Add the gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, and Benedictine to a cocktail shaker. Measure carefully; the small modifiers are what give the drink its classic character.
- Pour in the pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, grenadine, and Angostura bitters. The grenadine should tint the mix a clear pink-red before it is shaken.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds, until the outside is frosted and the pineapple juice has formed a light foam.
- Check that the hurricane glass still has plenty of fresh ice. Discard any meltwater before straining so the drink remains crisp.
- Strain the chilled Sling over the ice, then add a short splash of chilled soda water. Give it one gentle lift with a bar spoon to keep the sparkle.
- Finish with a pineapple wedge and one maraschino cherry. Add a straw and serve immediately while the foam and carbonation are fresh.
Garnish
Pineapple wedge and cherry
Pro tip
The original recipe from Raffles Hotel uses DOM Benedictine specifically. The drink should be pink-red, fruity, and deceptively strong.
History of the Singapore Sling
Created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, Singapore, around 1915. It was designed as a socially acceptable drink for women during the colonial era, disguised to look like fruit juice.
Flavour profile
Fruity, Sweet, Complex, Tropical
Variations
- Simplified Sling — Just gin, cherry liqueur, lime, and soda — the pre-Raffles version
- Straits Sling — The drier predecessor with Kirsch instead of Cherry Heering
- Modern Sling — Add 0.5 oz fresh ginger juice for a spicy kick
Practise making the Singapore Sling in the free Virtual Bar game.