The Sling was one of the first “craft cocktails” to achieve “trendy” status. That was back in 1915 when bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the classic at the Raffles Singapore’s hotel bar. Boon famously kept the recipe locked away in a safe that visitors may still view today.

According to the Hearing Company, the drink was created to fit a whole in the market. Many women preferred the stronger, gin drinks favored by the men, but social constructs dictated that women drink only fruit juices and teas. The Singapore asking was conceived to look like a harmless juice, as not to violate taboos, but to pack the punch of a proper cocktail.

There are many, many different recipes for this standard; the specs listed below are the original Ngiam Tong Boon recipe.

Print Recipe

Singapore Sling

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz. Gin
• 0.5 oz. Cherry Heering
• 0.25 oz. Cointreau
• 0.25 oz. Benedictine
• 4 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 0.5 oz. Lime Juice
• 0.33 oz. Grenadine
• 1 dash Angostura

Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1.5 oz. Gin 0.5 oz. Cherry Heering 0.25 oz. Cointreau 0.25 oz. Benedictine 4 oz. Pineapple Juice 0.5 oz. Lime Juice 0.33 oz. Grenadine 1 dash Angostura

Instructions

1. Combine all eight ingredients in a tin with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Double strain into a collins, pilsener, hurricane, or generally fanciful tall glass.
4. Garnish with aplomb. A cherry and pineapple are classics.