🌸 Singapore Sling

Gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, Bénédictine, and pineapple — Raffles Hotel Singapore's cocktail, circa 1915.

5 min
Serves 1
Shaken
Hurricane / Highball
Ingredients
  • 1½ oz London Dry Gin
  • ½ oz Cherry Heering
  • ¼ oz Cointreau
  • ¼ oz Bénédictine D.O.M.
  • 4 oz Pineapple juice
  • ½ oz Fresh lime juice
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Grenadine (just a splash, to top)
  • Pineapple slice, cherry, and paper umbrella to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Combine in shakerAdd gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Angostura bitters to a shaker.
  2. 2
    Add ice and shakeFill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
  3. 3
    Strain into tall glassStrain into a hurricane or highball glass filled with ice.
  4. 4
    Add grenadineAdd a splash of grenadine and allow it to sink to the bottom — it gives the drink a sunset gradient.
  5. 5
    GarnishGarnish generously with pineapple, cherry, and a paper umbrella.

Ngiam Tong Boon and the Raffles Bar

The Singapore Sling was created around 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The original recipe was lost, and the 'official' current Raffles recipe (with grenadine and pineapple) was reconstructed in the 1970s. Whether it's authentic to the 1915 original is debated.

The drink was designed to allow women to drink in bars without being conspicuous — the pink colour made it look like a fruit juice. Raffles Hotel now serves thousands daily, though cocktail purists find the reconstructed recipe somewhat muddled. The original was simpler: gin, cherry brandy, Bénédictine, and lime juice. The pineapple and grenadine are modern additions.

Variations

🍒 Original-Style Singapore Sling

Use only gin, Cherry Heering, Bénédictine, and fresh lime juice (no pineapple, no grenadine). Simpler, cleaner, and closer to the pre-reconstruction original.

🌺 Tropical Sling

Add coconut cream alongside the pineapple juice. More obviously tropical and popular in beach bars.

✨ Singapore Spritz

Shake the base (gin, Cherry Heering, lime) and strain over ice. Top with Prosecco instead of pineapple juice. Lighter and more modern.

Related
🍸 Cocktails A–Z Browse all 72 classic recipes 🌺 Gin Guide Gin base of this Raffles Hotel classic 🍋 Tom Collins Gin, lemon, soda — the simple relative 🥂 Gin Fizz Gin, lemon, soda — purer form