Singapore Sling
Gin, cherry brandy, pineapple and lime in a tall, pink, fruity long drink.
- Time
- 6 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- 2.2 UK units
How to make a Singapore Sling
- Fill the glass with ice. Pack a highball glass with ice and leave it to chill while you shake.
- Add everything to the shaker. Pour the gin, cherry brandy, Bénédictine, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and bitters into a shaker, then fill it with ice.
- Shake until cold. Shake hard for about 12 seconds. The tin should be frosty, and the top of the liquid should look foamy from the pineapple.
- Strain over fresh ice. Strain into the highball glass. The drink should be coral pink with a thin layer of foam.
- Garnish and serve. Spear a pineapple wedge and a cherry on a pick and balance it on the rim.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? A hurricane glass or any tall glass.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- A pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherryOr: An orange slice.
What you need to make a Singapore Sling
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Cherry brandyCherry Heering is the standard. It is rich, dark and not very sweet.Find it on Amazon
- BénédictineA herbal, honeyed liqueur. A bottle goes a long way.Find it on Amazon
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The Singapore Sling story
It is linked to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore, where bartender Ngiam Tong Boon is said to have created it around 1915. The recipe served today is a later reworking, and old versions differ, so no one can say exactly what the first one tasted like.
The version here is simple and balanced: gin and cherry brandy as the core, with a little Bénédictine and orange liqueur for depth, and plenty of pineapple juice. It is best made with fresh lime and pineapple juice that is not too sweet. Add more lime if it tastes like fruit punch.
Singapore Sling: your questions answered
What is in a Singapore Sling?
A Singapore Sling is made with 30 ml London dry gin, 15 ml cherry brandy liqueur, 7.5 ml Bénédictine, 7.5 ml triple sec, 120 ml pineapple juice, 15 ml fresh lime juice, 10 ml grenadine and a dash of Angostura bitters. Garnish: a pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherry.
Is a Singapore Sling shaken or stirred?
A Singapore Sling is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Singapore Sling?
Made to this recipe, a Singapore Sling contains about 2.2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Singapore Sling in?
Serve a Singapore Sling in a highball over ice. No highball? A hurricane glass or any tall glass.
