IBA
Singapore Sling – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 9.5% ABV ∙
The Singapore Sling shakes gin with cherry liqueur, curaçao, Bénédictine, pineapple, lime, grenadine and bitters, served long. Frothy from the shake and layered with tart-sweet fruit, it finishes long and faintly spiced, with a clean juniper backbone underneath the blush-pink color.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake: London dry gin 30 mlCherry liqueur 15 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 7 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 7 mlFresh pineapple juice 120 mlLime juice 15 mlGrenadine syrup 10 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Strain into the hurricane glass
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Shake hard and long enough to fully emulsify the pineapple juice — a short shake leaves the drink thin and under-aerated.
- Use fresh pineapple juice rather than canned or concentrate — it carries most of the volume, so its quality defines the drink.
- Measure the grenadine as given — 10 ml is enough for the blush colour, and a heavier pour turns the sling syrupy.
- Pre-chill the hurricane glass so the tall pour stays cold longer once strained and garnished.
History
The Singapore Sling – IBA is the International Bartenders Association's official specification of the Singapore Sling, standardizing the recipe served at the Long Bar of Raffles Hotel in gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and Angostura bitters, built in a shaker and served in a hurricane glass. The Singapore Sling has appeared on the IBA's official list since at least its 1987 edition and has remained on it through subsequent revisions, now sitting among the Contemporary Classics category.
The Singapore Sling itself is credited to Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender at Raffles Hotel in Singapore, who is generally said to have created it sometime between 1899 and 1915 as a gin drink disguised to look like fruit juice so that women, who were not expected to drink alcohol openly in public at the time, could enjoy it discreetly. Ngiam's original recipe was never written down, and the version now treated as authoritative traces to a recipe recorded on a hotel bar chit in 1936 and later recollections passed down by staff, so the IBA's codified build reflects this later-documented Raffles version rather than any recipe from Ngiam himself.
FAQ
What is a Singapore Sling made of?
This build combines London dry gin, cherry liqueur, orange curaçao, Bénédictine, fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine, and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, shaken and strained into a hurricane glass. It is garnished with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
Can you make a Singapore Sling without Bénédictine?
Yes, though the drink loses some of its herbal depth. Bénédictine contributes a honeyed, spiced note that rounds out the fruit and citrus; omitting it makes the sling taste flatter and more straightforwardly fruity, so many home versions leave it out without ruining the balance.
Is a Singapore Sling considered a girly drink?
That reputation comes from its pink-orange color and fruity pineapple and grenadine notes, not from its strength. Underneath the fruit sits a full pour of gin plus several liqueurs, so it's sturdier than its girly image suggests.
What are the IBA Classic cocktails?
The IBA Classic cocktails are a category within the International Bartenders Association's official cocktail list, made up of well-established drinks with a long, documented history, as opposed to the Contemporary Classics or New Era Drinks categories. The Singapore Sling is listed among them.
