The Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling is my favourite gin-based cocktail after the basic gin & tonic which I really refer to as a mixed drink. I prefer this long drink to be served in a highball glass as opposed to the cocktail glass as it is sometimes done. According to legend, the Singapore Sling was first mixed around about 1915 by a Hainanese bartender working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel in Singapore named Ngiam Tong Boon.

What I have noticed is the Singapore Sling mixed throughout South East Asia is remarkably different from the Singapore Sling mixed at the Long Bar. I have to ask myself, why not? This pre-mixed cocktail served at the Raffles Hotel costs a bomb, I nearly passed out when given the bill for two pre-mixed drinks. That's right, they don't even mix it for you, it is poured straight from a container so it lacks the romantic notion of a bartender mixed drink.

I went searching for a definitive recipe for the Singapore Sling, to the best of my knowledge this is the Raffles mix. In our home mix we generally leave out the Benedictine liqueur and unfortunately we do not count out the 6 drops of Angostura bitters, especially as the night wears on.

60 ml - a double shot of gin
30 ml - a single shot of cherry brandy
15 ml - a half shot of Cointreau liqueur
15 ml - a half shot of Benedictine liqueur
250 ml - 1 cup of pineapple juice
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
6 drops of Angostura bitters
Crushed ice cubes