Original Singapore Sling

One of my biggest life goals is to travel through time. So far it’s not looking very promising as Marty McFly has yet to appear on a hoverboard and it’s already 2015. Often when you travel you, you get lucky. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find in Singapore, I was setback when I realized I had stepped into the early 20th century. My sister and I wearing our casual and VERY 2000’s garb seemed out of place as we explored the refined Raffles Hotel.

Singapore is a clean city. Remarkably clean. So walking into a bar littered with peanut shells was definitely a novelty. I can see why it would appeal to the many American tourists. Despite our appearance, we were warmly welcomed into the Long Bar by a smiling bartender. He handed us both menus, but we knew what we were here for. The world-famous Singapore Sling. Invented in the very bar we were sitting at, coincidentally exactly 100 years ago.

The drink itself definitely goes down easy. You can see how Ngiam Tong Boon, the original bartender, managed to pass it off as a fruit punch suitable for ladies who were expected to not drink in public. Honestly, it’s the perfect marketing ploy to get patrons to your bar and it appears to have been working for these past 100 years. I’m still trying to understand how it was served originally as the liquor remained hidden while it was made…

For me, the Singapore Sling was quite sweet. I can’t imagine drinking more than one, nor could my wallet. But my little sister enjoyed the sling and slurped it up, happily enjoying the pineapple and cherry garnish at the end. It’s definitely a dangerous drink as you can hardly tell there’s alcohol in it. That is, until you stand up to leave and realize maybe you should have indulged in the shelled peanuts a bit more.

If a trip to the Raffles Hotel Singapore isn’t quite feasible for you now, don’t despair! You can try the “original”/current sling recipe. The recipe does call for some specialty liqueurs, so I’ve linked to a few other cocktails that use these ingredients.

Original Raffles Hotel Singapore Sling

• 1 oz gin (they used Gordon, but feel free to use your favorite)
• 1/2 oz Cherry Heering
• 1/4 oz Benedictine Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Cointreau
• 4 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/3 grenadine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

1. Measure ingredients into a shaker
2. Shake vigorously until bubbles form and ingredients are well combined
3. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass
4. Garnish with pineapple slice and maraschino cherry

Currently Eating Drinking: Runa Guayusa Focus Tea