Tall and refreshing variation on the Gin Sling
Originally created in the Raffles hotel in Singapore
A classic gin-based co*cktail
One of the most iconic gin co*cktails has to be the Singapore Sling. It has an inviting pinkish colour, an exotic sweet and fresh flavour and of course some dispute about the original recipe. This refreshing long drink was invented in the Raffles hotel in Singapore and can be seen as an early Tiki style co*cktail.
How to make a Singapore Sling?
The Singapore Sling is made with Gin, Cherry Brandy, D.O.M. Bénédictine, Angostura bitters, pineapple juice and grenadine syrup, topped with soda water. It was first made sometime between 1889 and 1915 by a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon who worked at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. There is little controversy as to who created the Singapore Sling, but there's huge debate over the original name and ingredients of the co*cktail.
Singapore Sling ingredients
45 mlDamrak Gin
15 mlBols Cherry Brandy
10 ml Bols Triple Sec
10 ml DOM Bénédictine
50 ml pineapple juice
15 ml lime juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 bar spoon Grenadine syrup
Dash of soda water
Singapore Sling glassware and tools
Sling glass
co*cktail shaker
Jigger
Strainer
Pour all ingredients except the soda water in the co*cktail shaker
Fill the shaker two thirds with ice cubes
Shake for around 10 seconds and strain into the sling glass filled with ice cubes
Top up with a dash of soda water
Garnish with a lemon peel and a co*cktail cherry
Sweet, yet balanced
According to the above recipe, the Singapore Sling is a sweet yet balanced co*cktail. It can be seen as an early example of a Tiki co*cktail but instead of using rum as the base spirit, gin is used. The fruity and sweet notes of the liqueurs are brought to life by the fresh lime and pineapple juice with a little soda water to provide sparkle. The gin along with the D.O.M. Bénédictine give the co*cktail a herbal and strong bite. This drink has a beautiful fresh pinkish colour which makes the co*cktail look very festive.
History of the Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling co*cktail was indisputably created in Singapore at the Raffles Hotel sometime between 1889 and 1915. There are many theories about why these exact ingredients were used and how the name came about. However, we know the inventor was the Chinese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon who worked at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel from 1889 to 1915. The Gin Sling, a co*cktail with gin, lemon, sugar and soda water was a famous gin co*cktail at the time. The Singapore Sling was Boon's variation on this co*cktail.
In the 1930s, recipes for the Singapore Sling and the Straits Sling appear in The Savoy co*cktail Book (Harry Craddock, 1930). The Singapore Sling is described as a co*cktail with gin, Cherry Brandy, lemon juice and soda water. The recipe for the Straits Sling Is actually more similar to the modern-day Singapore Sling co*cktail as it includes D.O.M. Bénédictine, Angostura and Orange bitters.
The Raffles Hotel has promoted itself fervently since the 1970s as the birthplace of the Singapore Sling co*cktail. The low point of this PR campaign was when the Raffles co*cktail bar began making the co*cktails using a ready-made co*cktail mix. Guests could of course then buy this mix in the gift shop. Since 2012, the popular Long Bar has made the Singapore Sling according to the original Raffles Hotel recipe using fresh ingredients.
Singapore Sling recipe variations
co*cktails with many ingredients don't often lend themselves to variations. Switching out just one ingredient has a limited effect on the final flavour. The effect of switching one ingredient is much more noticeable when there's only 3 ingredients in the original recipe. To create variations on the Singapore Sling, we'll be choosing strong flavours that will stand out in the final flavour of the co*cktail.
Recipe variation 1 - change the base
We useDamrak Ginin this recipe, which is an exceptionally smooth gin with a pronounced citrus flavour. To give your Singapore Sling a more complex, malty flavour, you can switch the gin forBols Geneveradding a whole new dimension to the recipe.
Recipe variation 2 - change de modifiers
A modifier is a co*cktail ingredient, usually alcoholic and typically a fortified wine or a liqueur, that both softens the base spirit and adds flavour to the drink. In the Singapore Sling the modifiers are The D.O.M. Bénédictine, Triple Sec and the Cherry Brandy providing herbal, citrus and cherry flavours. We can make variations here by replacing the herbal notes with the beautiful complex flavours ofGalliano l'Autentico. This adds notes of star anise and vanilla to your Singapore Sling. The Triple Sec and Cherry Brandy can be replaced by many other Bols liqueurs. Always consider whether the flavours add anything to the final co*cktail. For example,Bols Gingeris a good replacement for Triple Sec. Bols Pineapple Chipotle can also work well as a replacement for Triple Sec because it strengthens the pineapple flavour in the co*cktail and adds a touch of spice.
Recipe variation 3 - change the fruit juice
Changing the fruit juices will change the taste of the co*cktail entirely. If this isn't a problem for you, try replacing the lime juice with lemon juice and the pineapple juice with grapefruit juice and see how this completely transforms the co*cktail. Because the grapefruit juice adds bitterness to the co*cktail, I would leave out the Angostura bitters in this version.
