Singapore Sling - How 2 Make the Classic Tiki Drink & the History Behind It (Smuggler's Cove recipe)
How to make the Singapore Sling, the classic cocktail made with Gin, Cherry Liqueur, Benedictine, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Soda Water, Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters and, optionally, a lemon wheel, mint and a Maraschino Cherry for garnish. This drink was adopted as a Tiki standard and my favorite recipe comes from the handbook for the recently tikified, Smuggler’s Cove.
The most popular rumor about this drink was that it was created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. This creation was also supposed to be made with pineapple juice. However, most of this story was embellished or outright invented by the Raffles Hotel manager from the 1970’s. The only part of the story that was confirmable was that Ngiam worked at Raffles around the turn-of-the-century.
The real story of this drink traces back to the 19th century. A Sling is a drink category that, according to David Wondrich began an American creation, but in English hands became more of a punch, which by the mid-to-late 1800’s became the standard definition of a Sling. And a sling English bartenders loved to experiment with throughout the British Empire was the Gin Sling.
In Singapore (part of the Straits Settlement at the time), what would later become known at the Straits Sling or—more commonly—the Singapore Sling, was originally just referred to as the Gin Sling. Accounts of Singapore’s Gin Sling started popping up in newspaper accounts in 1897, but it was clear that they had firmly been established as part of the drinking scene by that time.
The recipe appeared in print in 1913, 1922 and then in several books throughout the 1930’s. The recipes from the 30’s were all in the same ballpark measurement and ingredient-wise. This was the recipe that Donn Beach put on his menu when he established the first tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber. He had discovered the drink on his travels through the pacific in the mid-1920’s.
Even though the drink pre-dates Tiki, it was definitely a staple of a lot of tiki menus. But it makes sense because it was built in the style of a punch, much like a lot of Donn’s original drinks were and just like Donn’s drinks, this one was composed of some exciting and exotic flavors.
I R&D’ed this drink pretty extensively. I made half a dozen Singapore Slings from various recipes and compared them side-by-side, including one of the pineapple juice recipes. The hands-down winner was the Smuggler’s Cove recipe, which did not stray too far from the 1930’s recipes. It just added some simple syrup (or in their case rich simple syrup, but 1:1 syrup was perfect for me) to help round off some of the more tart edges of the citrus and it works like a charm.
As for the garnish, it’s really up to you. I used a lemon wheel, cherry and mint, but play around with it and figure out what works best for you. It’s not like Three Dots & a Dash ( or the Navy Grog ( where the garnish is central to the presentation, but it’s definitely something to play around with to make the drink more exotic. Okole Maluna!
Recipe:
1.5 oz (45ml) Gin
0.5 oz (15ml) Cherry Liqueur
0.25 oz (7ml) Benedictine
0.25 oz (7ml) Simple Syrup
0.75 oz (22ml) Lemon Juice
1 dash Aromatic Bitters
1 dash Orange Bitters
2 oz Soda Water
garnish Lemon Wheel, Mint, Maraschino Cherry (optional)
Add ice and soda to the Collins glass. Shake the rest of the ingredients with ice cubes. Strain into the glass. Add garnishes and straw.
Music:
Asian Celebration 1 & 3 by Bo Järpehag
via Epidemic Sound
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Featured in this Episode:
Ford’s Gin
Combier Rouge Cherry Liqueur
Benedictine
Regan’s Orange Bitters
Angostura Bitters
Soda Siphon
Maraschino Cherries
Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari 10th Anniversary Edition by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
Imbibe! by David Wondrich
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
Smuggler's Cove by Martin & Rebecca Cate
Bar Tools:
Schott Zwiesel Collins Glasses
Cocktail Pick (Pineapple)
Leopold Jigger
Usagi Cobbler Shaker
Bamboo Straw
Citrus Juicer (Lemon)
Cutting Board
Small Knife
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Singapore Sling Tutorial from Raffles Singapore
For the cocktail connoisseurs: Raffles Hotel Singapore shares its finest and famed Singapore Sling recipe, invented at the hotel in 1915.
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Singapore Sling Cocktail | Jamie Oliver
The Singapore Sling cocktail is an absolute classic, invented at Singapore's famous Raffles Hotel in the early 1900's. There are many variations on the recipe, but Jamie's version uses Bombay Sapphire gin, Benedictine herbal liqueur, cherry brandy, triple sec, lime juice, grenadine, fresh pineapple juice and soda water. It's one of our favourites - try it and let us know what you think. Sponsored by Bacardi.
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How to make a Singapore Sling: the original Raffles recipe | Condé Nast Traveller
Since it was invented in the early 20th century by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, the Singapore Sling cocktail has become world-famous and known as the island-state's national drink. Pairing gin with fresh pineapple juice and zingy lime, this cocktail is the ideal drink for a hot summer’s day. Here, Raffles bar manager Damien Wee shows us how to make it perfectly. Watch more Condé Nast Traveller recipe videos ►► Subscribe to Condé Nast Traveller magazine ►►
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How to make a Singapore Sling: the original Raffles recipe | Condé Nast Traveller
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Singapore Sling - Is this better than the Raffles Hotel version?!
This version varies greatly to the original one said to be served at the Raffles Hotel with the key difference being the exclusion of pineapple juice!
This is replaced with a fair measure of soda water and allows the spirits and liqueurs to shine and not be hidden away in a wave of sweet juice.
I suggest to try both versions and let me know your favourite! :)
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 oz / 45 ml London dry gin
1/2 oz / 15 ml Herring cherry liqueur
1/4 oz / 7.5 ml Benedictine
3/4 oz / 22.5 ml lemon juice
1/4 oz / 7.5 ml grenadine
1 dash of Angostura bitters
1 dash of orange bitters
2 oz / 60 ml soda water
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How to Make a Singapore Sling: The Ultimate Recipe
The Singapore Sling cocktail is a vibrant and flavorful libation that pays homage to the classic Singapore Sling. It incorporates the smoothness of Tanqueray Gin, the lusciousness of cherry liqueur, the tangy brightness of fresh lemon, and the effervescence of soda. The Singapore Sling cocktail offers a delightful blend of flavors. The botanicals of Tanqueray Gin, the sweetness of cherry liqueur, the tanginess of fresh lemon, and the effervescence of soda water create a harmonious and refreshing drink that is both sophisticated and approachable.
RECIPE
30ml Tanqueray Gin
10ml orange liqueur
10ml cherry brandy
10ml DOM Benedictine
60ml pineapple juice
30ml lime juice
10ml grenadine syrup
Dash Angostura bitters
Splash of soda
Pineapple/orange wedge and cherry
PREPARATION
Add all ingredients except soda water and Angostura bitters into a shaker.
Shake vigorously with ice.
Strain over ice into a chilled hurricane glass.
Top up with a splash of soda water and dash of Angostura bitters.
Garnish with pineapple/orange wedge and cherry.
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