Closing out our Tiki Classics with another drink that would be on the peripheral of the Tiki world is the Singapore Sling. While you can place this drink in either the classics or the Tiki classics, we’ve chose to include it here due to the drinks history, ability to live on Tiki bar menus, and the general feeling most people get when seeing a drink with ‘sling’ in it’s name. To start with, the drink actually came from Singapore at one of the most famous hotels, the Adelphi. Everything beyond that is basically up for debate, including the ingredients (which cherry liqueur was it, or was it brandy) and even the name. All controversy and history aside, the Singapore Sling is delicious and deserves consideration in your menu.
Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling is daringly refreshing. While there are a lot of elements fighting for superiority, they ultimately coalesce to form a beautiful tropical harmony. The gin seamlessly becomes the backbone while the Benedictine and the Angostura add a healthy amount of hard to identify spice. The cherry, lime, grenadine, and pineapple make a charming fruit punch, and the drink reaches an enlightened balance. The simplicity and complexity is just right to want to slide away with them in a hammock or on a beach.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
The Singapore Sling has become the subject of a bunch of variants. The one we’re using is the most common blend of ingredients. Don’t be shocked to see others making them with lemon or even seltzer. The reasoning is sound, but we like our sling strong enough to hold us all through the night.
- Gin – We recommend using a London Dry gin here. Our go to is Beefeater.
- Chery Heering – Cherry Heering is technically a brand of cherry liqueur. So use the one you happen to be able to find. We used Luxardo’s in this variation.
- Benedictine – There are no substitutes here, we recommend Benedictine. You can also use it in The Preakness and the Bobby Burns.
- Cointreau – This is the most common orange flavors in a Singapore Sling, and we recommend Cointreau instead of triple sec. We have seen at least one variation that calls for orange bitters instead. Depending on your tolerance for sweetness, this is an alternative, but not the standard.
- Pineapple Juice – We recommend Dole’s smaller cans to reduce waste, but feel free to juice your own.
- Lime Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results.
- Grenadine – To make grenadine, combine equal parts by weight pomegranate juice and white sugar in a sauce pot. Heat until almost simmering and all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add ½ oz of neutral spirits (vodka / overproof such as Everclear) if desired for preservation. Place in a clean bottle and store in the fridge for up to several weeks. Dispose of if any mold or haze develops.
- Angostura – The go to bitters, these deserve a spot on your bar. We don’t recommend substitution.
2 thoughts on “Tiki Classics: Singapore Sling”