Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling is another gin cocktail inherited from Britain’s colonial past. This variation of a gin sling was invented by Chinese-born bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in the early 20th century.
It was normal in the early 20th century to see men nursing a Gin or a Whisky at the Long Bar, but this was by no means an acceptable practice for women at the time. Etiquette dictated that women were not to be seen drinking alcohol in public, women were encouraged to keep to fruit juices and teas. The ever-resourceful Tong Boon saw an opportunity here and started on the idea of making alcoholic beverages that looked like regular fruit juices that the ladies could drink without drawing criticism or upsetting the protocol, and the Singapore Sling was born!
This is the Raffles Hotel’s version, which they claim to be the original recipe. However, there is some debate about whether the original included pineapple juice and grenadine, as these ingredients can make the cocktail overly fruity and sweet. I enjoy it both with and without pineapple and grenadine, but it is very boozy without the pineapple and grenadine and does cease to be a refreshing cocktail for a sunny day and more of a tasty boozy explosion the likes of which you could certainly not consume all afternoon!
My preference is to use a little less pineapple juice to keep the sweetness down.
Singapore Sling Ingredients:
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30 ml Dry Gin
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15 ml Cherry Liqueur
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7.5 ml Cointreau
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7.5 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.
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15 ml Fresh Lime Juice
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120 ml Pineapple Juice
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10 ml Grenadine
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1 dash Angostura Bitters
Instructions:
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Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
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Shake well until chilled.
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Strain into a sling glass filled with fresh ice.
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If omitting the pineapple juice and grenadine, top with soda water.
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Garnish by making a sail: place a toothpick through a lemon slice with a maraschino cherry in the centre.
