Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

Singapore Sling

Singapore sling, light orange, in Collins glass, with white foam on top and cherry skewed with orange slice

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Singapore Sling combines gin, Grand Marnier, cherry liqueur, herbal liqueur (often Benedictine), pineapple, lime, bitters and club soda. It was first created in the early 20th century at Long Bar in the Raffles hotel in Singapore.

The original recipe is attributed to Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon and is a variant on the Gin Sling, a type of single-serving punch. The earliest published version of the recipe appeared in “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” a 1930 classic written by Harry Craddock. Subsequent recipes followed, and by 1948, David A. Embury states in his book “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks” that no two published recipes for the Singapore Sling are the same.

When constructed with precise measurements, the Singapore Sling is tart, refreshing and delicious. But by the 1980s, as with many tropical classics, the drink had been relegated to a sugary mixture of gin, bottled commercial sweet-and-sour mix and grenadine. Some bars served a bright-red mixture from machines, while others quickly shook up low-quality approximations for tourists. Even the famous Long Bar serves two versions: one derived from a premixed batch that tastes like fruit punch, and another that uses fresh juices and is shaken by hand. Cocktails are subjective, but the latter, handmade version is considered a perfect example of a well-balanced cocktail, and masterclass in how to keep a wide variety of ingredients from overwhelming each other.

At its best, the Singapore Sling is nuanced, complex and ingredient-heavy. It’s also ripe for experimentation. As such, most incarnations of the “classic” cocktail are based on general notes and nostalgia. And many more modern versions result in an overly sweet drink that relies more on grenadine and pineapple juice than herbal liqueurs and fresh citrus.

This recipe is as true to the classic as one can get; it’s fruit-forward, herbaceous and strong. Give it a whirl, and then feel free to experiment to create your own version.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce gin

  • 1/4 ounce Benedictine

  • 1/4 ounce Grand Marnier

  • 1/4 ounce Heering cherry liqueur

  • 1 ounce pineapple juice

  • 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1 dash Angostura bitters

  • Club soda, chilled, to top

  • Garnish: orange slice

  • Garnish: cherry

Steps

  1. Add the gin, Benedictine, Grand Marnier, Heering cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice and bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice, and top with the club soda.

  3. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Are the Other Ways to Make a Singapore Sling Red?

David Wondrich has noted that the earliest versions of the Singapore Sling almost certainly used a clear kirschwasser (cherry liqueur) in the drink itself, rather than a red cherry liqueur like Heering. In these original iterations the red color came from a float of red wine.

What Type of Glassware Should You Use?

This version calls for a highball glass. You could also use a footed glass, like a Hurricane glass, as the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel does. This style of glass provides a touch of verve to the cocktail’s presentation.