The Singapore Sling is a tall, fruit-forward gin cocktail with more structure than its bright color suggests. Pineapple and grenadine provide sweetness, lime supplies acidity, and Bénédictine, orange liqueur, cherry brandy, and bitters build layers of fruit, herbs, and spice around the gin.
From Raffles Hotel to Global Classic
The Singapore Sling is associated with bartender Ngiam Tong Boon and the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore during the early twentieth century. Historical recipes vary, and the drink evolved considerably over time. The modern version is known for its pink color, pineapple foam, complex liqueur blend, and connection to Singapore’s cocktail culture.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Gin: Forms the dry, botanical foundation.
- Cherry brandy: Adds rich cherry fruit and sweetness.
- Bénédictine: Contributes herbal, honeyed, and spiced depth.
- Cointreau: Adds concentrated orange aroma and citrus sweetness.
- Pineapple juice: Supplies tropical fruit, body, and foam.
- Lime juice: Provides the acidity needed to balance the sweeter ingredients.
- Grenadine: Adds pomegranate sweetness and the drink’s familiar pink tone.
- Angostura bitters: Brings aromatic spice and a dry finish.
No Cointreau? Use another quality triple sec with a clean orange profile.
No Bénédictine? A small amount of another herbal liqueur may work, but the flavor will not be identical.
No cherry brandy? Cherry Heering is a strong choice for the rich cherry character expected in a modern Singapore Sling.
Equipment
- Collins glass
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Hawthorne strainer
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Citrus juicer
Tropical Flavor With Real Structure
The Singapore Sling is not simply a sweet pineapple drink. Gin and bitters provide dryness, lime keeps the fruit in check, and the liqueurs add separate layers of cherry, orange, herbs, and spice. A hard shake also gives the pineapple juice a light foam that softens the drink’s texture without making it heavy.
Substitutions & Variations
- Replace Cointreau with another dry triple sec.
- Increase the lime juice slightly for a sharper, less sweet finish.
- Reduce the grenadine when using a particularly sweet cherry brandy.
- Use a juniper-forward London dry gin for a firmer botanical backbone.
- Replace part of the pineapple juice with chilled soda water for a lighter, more sparkling variation.
- Use light rum instead of gin for a softer tropical riff, noting that it is no longer a traditional Singapore Sling.
- Serve without the garnish for a simpler presentation, but retain the hard shake and fresh ice.
Helpful Tips
- Use fresh lime juice for clean acidity.
- Chill the glass before building the drink.
- Shake firmly enough to aerate the pineapple juice.
- Fine-strain to remove ice fragments and excess fruit pulp.
- Taste the pineapple juice before mixing because sweetness varies by brand.
- Adjust grenadine carefully. Too much can overwhelm the gin and herbal ingredients.
- Use fresh ice in the serving glass rather than dumping in the shaker ice.
- For batching, combine everything except the pineapple and lime juices in advance. Add the juices shortly before shaking and serving.
- Pair with grilled shrimp, spicy noodles, satay, or salty appetizers.
