Singapore, Singapore · 1915

Singapore Sling

Also known as Gin Sling, Straits Sling, Singapore Gin Sling

A tall, fruity gin cocktail that leans heavily into cherry and citrus, with enough herbal bite from the bitters to keep it from tasting like juice.

cherrypineappletropicalginherbalfruitytallrefreshingbittersspiced

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sweet cherry and bright lemon. Mid-palate, the gin's pine and botanical notes push through the fruit, while the bitters add a dry, spicy edge. It finishes long and slightly bitter, with the cherry sweetness fading out slow.

Who will like it

This is for drinkers who like tropical fruit flavors but still want to taste the gin underneath.

When to drink

Drink this on a hot afternoon when you want something tall and icy that takes its time to finish.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender if they use fresh pineapple juice and Benedictine, because those two things make or break the drink.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $12–$18Glass: CollinsBatch-friendlyMake ahead

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a sweet, fruity drink first and foremost, but the Bénédictine and bitters drag it back toward something more grown-up. You get hit with cherry and pineapple up front, then the gin and herbal notes peek through on the middle of your tongue. It is light on alcohol and very refreshing, making it easy to drink fast, but the spice and bitterness in the finish give it more depth than a typical fruity cocktail.

Finish: The finish runs medium-long, with lingering cherry sweetness and a dry, spiced bitterness from the Angostura that dries out your palate.

Primary tastes

sweetfruityherbal

Secondary

sourbitter

Aroma

cherrypineapplebotanicalspice

Bitternessmildly bitter
The Angostura and cherry liqueur add a dry, spiced edge but the drink stays firmly on the sweet side.
Sweetnessquite sweet
The cherry liqueur, grenadine, and pineapple juice stack up to make this a noticeably sweet drink.
Sournessmoderate acidity
The lime and pineapple juice bring enough tartness to keep the sweetness from taking over completely.
Strengthlow alcohol
With only 30ml of gin stretched by a lot of juice and soda, this drinks light and easy.
Refreshingvery refreshing
The tall glass, cold ice, soda water, and fruit juices make this a cooling drink for hot weather.
Creaminesslight body
The pineapple juice gives it a slight texture, but it drinks thin and juicy rather than rich.
Complexityfairly complex
The mix of five different liqueurs, juices, and bitters creates a layered flavor that shifts as you sip.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Collins · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended so the botanicals cut through the sweet mixers

Before you start

Chill your Collins glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you have time, and make sure your pineapple and lime juice are fresh and cold.

Ingredients

GinBase Spirit30ml
Cherry LiqueurLiqueurHeering or Maraschino work; Heering gives that classic deep red color15ml
BénédictineLiqueurAdds a honeyed, herbal depth7.5ml
CointreauLiqueurOrange liqueur; Triple Sec works as a substitute7.5ml
GrenadineSyrupUse real pomegranate grenadine, not cheap syrup10ml
Pineapple JuiceJuiceFresh squeezed is far better than canned60ml
Lime JuiceJuiceFresh squeezed15ml
Angostura BittersBitters2 dashes
Club SodaSodaJust a splash to lengthen the drinkTop up
Pineapple SliceGarnish1 slice
Maraschino CherryGarnishLuxardo if you have them1 cherry

Garnish: Pineapple slice, Maraschino cherry

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To shake the juice and liqueurs with the gin and chill everything down
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the gin, liqueurs, and juices accurately
At home: A measuring shot glass or tablespoon set
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To strain the ice out when pouring the drink into the glass
At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve
Bar Spoon · Mixing
To gently stir the soda in after pouring so it mixes without going flat
At home: A long iced tea spoon or chopstick
Collins Glass · Serving
The tall glass this drink is served in to hold the volume and ice
At home: Any tall pint glass

Steps

1
Measure 30ml gin, 15ml cherry liqueur, 7.5ml Bénédictine, 7.5ml Cointreau, and 10ml grenadine, and pour them all into your empty shaker. Add 60ml pineapple juice and 15ml lime juice, then drop in 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
!Forgetting the Bénédictine, which leaves the drink tasting flat and one-dimensional.
2
Fill your shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. Seal it tight and shake hard for about 10 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels icy cold and frosty. The pineapple juice needs a good shake to blend properly with the liqueurs.
~10s
!Shaking too gently, which leaves the heavy pineapple juice and syrups poorly mixed.
3
Take your Collins glass out of the freezer and fill it to the top with fresh ice cubes. You want the ice sitting just above the rim so the drink stays cold as you pour.
!Using crushed ice, which melts too fast and waters down this already long drink.
4
Pop the Hawthorne strainer onto your shaker and pour the drink over the ice in your Collins glass. Stop pouring when the liquid is about an inch below the rim to leave room for the soda.
!Pouring too fast and splashing the red liquid over the sides of the glass.
5
Top the drink off with a splash of club soda to fill the glass. Take your bar spoon and give it one gentle pull through the drink from bottom to top to mix the soda in without stirring all the fizz out.
!Stirring vigorously and killing the carbonation you just added.
6
Skewer a pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry onto a cocktail pick and rest it across the rim of the glass. The drink should look tall, pinkish-red, and inviting.
!Dropping the garnish straight into the drink, which gets in the way while you sip.

Serve

Serve it right away while it is still icy cold. The ice will slowly melt as you drink it, which is fine since this is a long, easy-sipping cocktail meant to last a while.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Cherry Liqueur

Cherry LiqueurMaraschino Liqueur
Match
Specialty availability
Cherry Liqueur → Maraschino Liqueur: Drier and more nutty, less sweet cherry flavor, and it will not give the drink its classic red color.

Swap options for Pineapple Juice

Pineapple JuiceOrange Juice
Match
Common availability
Pineapple Juice → Orange Juice: Loses the tropical tang and makes the drink taste more like a standard fruit punch.

Swap options for Bénédictine

BénédictineDrambuie
Match
Specialty availability
Bénédictine → Drambuie: Adds a smoky honey and Scotch note instead of the herbal warmth, changing the drink's profile significantly.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Clover Club

The Clover Club uses raspberry instead of pineapple and cherry, and is served short without soda.

Match

Both drinks are fruity and pink, but the Clover Club is a silky, tart short drink while the Singapore Sling is a tall, tropical, easy-sipping cooler.

In common: shaken, fruit-driven, pinkish hue

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Lime Juice, Grenadine

Only in Singapore Sling

Cherry Liqueur, Bénédictine, Cointreau, Pineapple Juice, Club Soda

Only in Clover Club

Raspberry Syrup, Egg White

The Singapore Sling swaps the Clover Club's raspberry and egg white for cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, and soda, making it a longer, juicier drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

sweet-tart backbone, berry-like fruitiness from grenadine, botanical gin base

How Clover Club differs

taller and more diluted, no silky foam texture, tropical pineapple note

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a simple sour with soda, while the Singapore Sling piles on fruit liqueurs and juices.

Match

A Tom Collins is crisp and clean, letting the gin and lemon shine, whereas the Singapore Sling is a busy, sweet, fruit-heavy experience.

In common: served tall in a Collins glass, refreshing and fizzy, gin-based

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Lime Juice, Club Soda

Only in Singapore Sling

Cherry Liqueur, Bénédictine, Cointreau, Grenadine, Pineapple Juice, Angostura Bitters

Only in Tom Collins

Simple Syrup

The Singapore Sling takes the basic Tom Collins template and loads it up with cherry, herbal liqueurs, and tropical fruit.

Flavor

Shared flavors

tall and fizzy delivery, bright citrus acidity, botanical gin foundation

How Tom Collins differs

much sweeter, fruit-forward rather than clean, heavier body

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The drink was created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel's Long Bar around 1915. The original recipe has been lost to time, and the modern version is a reconstruction based on memories and notes, so the exact ingredients and proportions are heavily debated.

Creator: Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel
Era: 1910s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA Contemporary Classics spec
Confidence

The original Ngiam Tong Boon recipe is lost; this is a widely accepted modern reconstruction. Ingredient lists vary heavily across sources, with some including DOM Bénédictine and others omitting it.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use real pomegranate grenadine to avoid a cloying, artificial finish.
Chill the Collins glass beforehand so the ice melts slower.
Make the juice and liqueur mix ahead for a party, then just shake and top with soda.
If you lack Bénédictine, a barspoon of honey syrup adds a similar sweetness.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Using cheap neon-red grenadine will make the drink taste like cough syrup.
Skipping the bitters leaves the drink tasting flat and overly sweet.
Shaking with crushed ice waters the drink down too much before you serve it.