– Gordon’s Singapore Sling –

#LetsCocktail this Summer!

Just over a year ago, I was reclining in a very large and comfortable leather “business class” airline seat on Singapore Airlines, (along with several other bloggers) who like me, were off to Singapore for an action packed “press trip”, sipping one of my favourite cocktails of all time, a Singapore Gin Sling! This world-famous cocktail epitomises my childhood growing up in Hong Kong – during the last years of what is now known as the “colonial era”;  I saw my parents and their friends enjoying this iconic cocktail on many occasions…..as a Sundowner on the terrace…..there would then follow an evening meal of assorted curries usually, set out as a buffet, with more Slings being drunk throughout the evening, although the men usually progressed on to a couple of Chotapegs.

So, when a free afternoon was proposed on my Singapore trip, it seemed only right that I visit Raffles Hotel and The Long Bar to enjoy the real thing! I have visited Raffles Hotel before, and also The Long Bar, which sadly is not in its original position on the ground floor any more, but the desire to enjoy the cocktail in its birth place was my ultimate goal, as well as exploring the grounds of this beautiful hotel. And enjoy one I did, as you can see from my photos above, along with the ubiquitous bowl of ground nuts, of which you MUST throw the shells on the floor! I would have had a second sling, but at a hefty £21 a cocktail, I decided to sate any future sling cravings I may have by making them at home! And finally, a year later, the opportunity arose when I was asked by The Bar.com to choose a bottle of spirit, and make a cocktail from their site for some #LetsCocktail activity this summer.

And, my timing could not have been more perfect, as 2015 marks the centenary of the birth of this delectable cocktail, as it is widely accepted that is was Ngiam Tong Boon, a bar tender in the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel in 1915, that created the original Singapore Sling. My tipple of choice was a bottle of Gordon’s Gin, the basis of any gin sling cocktail……and I decided to make The Bar’s recipe for a Gordon’s Singapore Sling. The recipe is not as I have it written down, as I normally add pineapple juice, lime juice and Angostura bitters to mine, but according to the interesting set of notes on the recipe page, “The recipe used here is based on Harry Craddock’s 1930’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, a combination of his Singapore Sling and ‘Straits Sling’ that is likely to be closest to how the original version shaped up, taken from contemporary accounts of the cocktail”…..so I decided to make it exactly as it was posted.

We, Malcolm my husband and I, decided to start the weekend with a couple of these gin cocktails last night – and although a gin sling is normally served in a “high ball” or “collins” glass, or the Long Bar has their own special tulip shaped glasses, I made the cocktails, in my cocktail shaker, and served them in the “jars” that were sent to me as part of the #LetsCocktail” kit.  I did add some pineapple juice, as I found just using lemon juice too bitter at first, and I also added the classic garnish of fresh pineapple and a cherry too. The slings frothed up beautifully in the shaker, as they are supposed to do, and tasted amazing…….fruity and sweet with aromatic and botanical overtones from the gin. Sadly there were no ground nuts to enjoy with the sling, maybe that’s just as well for post cocktail housework, but they certainly went down a treat, with a curry to follow, as it traditional in my family!

If you fancy seeing how easy it is to whip up (or should I say shake up) a cocktail, why not check out The Bar’s You Tube video here – click on the image:

If you are a cocktail lover, why not share your cocktail creation on social media with the hashtag #LetsCocktail and you may be in with a chance to win a prize! Karen 

Disclaimer: Commissioned work with Foodies 100 and thebar.com – all views and opinions remain my own.

Other Bloggers who have been Shaking it Up are:

Cooksister’s Very berry G&Ts

Coffee and Vanilla’s “No Problemo” Mojito

Jen’s Food’s Smirnoff Raspberry Collins

A Mummy Too’s Good Ol’ Whisky Ginger cocktail 

Recipes from a Pantry’s Pimm’s no1 and Lemonade Cocktail

Veggie Desserts Cucumber Gin and Tonic

Taming Twin’s MASH UP A MOJITO

Gordon’s Singapore Sling

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Serves	1
Prep time	2 minutes
Meal type	Beverage
Region	Asian
Website	The Bar.com

Sweet, rich cherry brandy cut through by zesty citrus and finished with delicious gin botanicals: the Singapore Sling is one of the great cocktails, although arguments over its exact recipe exist.

Ingredients

• 25ml Gordon's® London Dry Gin
• 25ml Cherry Brandy
• 5ml Benedictine
• 25ml Lemon Juice (or Pineapple Juice)
• 10ml Grenadine

Note

Sweet, rich cherry brandy cut through by zesty citrus and finished with delicious gin botanicals: the Singapore Sling is one of the great cocktails, although arguments over its exact recipe exist. The recipe used here is based on Harry Craddock’s 1930’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, a combination of his Singapore Sling and ‘Straits Sling’ that is likely to be closest to how the original version shaped up, taken from contemporary accounts of the cocktail.

Directions

Step 1	Using a jigger, measure 25ml of Gordon's London Dry Gin, 25ml cherry brandy, 5ml of benedictine, 25ml of lemon juice or pineapple juice and 10ml of grenadine into a cocktail shaker along with a couple of ice cubes.
Step 2	Shake the mixture vigorously until the surface of the cocktail shaker feels chilled.
Step 3	Strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes.
Step 4	Garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry.
Step 5	NB: 1.9 units of alcohol per serving.

Read all about my Singapore adventures here:

Fine Dining, Champagne & Excellent Service: Flying Business Class with Singapore Airlines

My Singapore Fling! Cocktails in the Sky & Street Food on the Ground: A Photo Diary