The Singapore Sling is a tall, pink, gin-based cocktail with pineapple juice, cherry liqueur, and a handful of other spirits that together land somewhere between fruity and herbal. It takes about 10 minutes and a cocktail shaker to make one at home. If you’ve got the bottles on hand, it’s genuinely one of the more impressive-looking drinks you can put together without any special skill.
The technique that matters
Shaking is the only real technique here, and it matters more than it sounds. You need to shake hard for a full 10 seconds — not a gentle swirl. The pineapple juice foams up when agitated, and that foam is what gives the drink its slightly frothy, lighter texture at the top of the glass. A weak shake leaves it flat and overly sweet. Use plenty of ice in the shaker, not just a couple of cubes; more ice means faster chilling and less dilution, because the drink gets cold before the ice has time to melt into it. Strain it immediately after shaking — don’t let it sit in the shaker.
Common problems and fixes
- The drink tastes flat or one-dimensional: This usually means the lime juice wasn’t fresh. Bottled lime juice is noticeably duller. Squeeze it fresh — even half a lime makes a real difference against all that sweetness.
- It’s too sweet to drink: Pineapple juice varies a lot by brand. If yours is already very sweet, pull the grenadine back to a small splash rather than the full third of an ounce. Taste the juice before you build the drink.
- The bitters got lost: Adding the Angostura dash directly into the shaker buries it. Add it on top of the finished drink in the glass so you get a little of it in every sip near the surface.
- The drink looks muddy instead of pink: This happens when you shake too aggressively with old or cloudy ice. Use fresh ice in both the shaker and the glass. The grenadine and pineapple juice are what create the pink color — they need a clear base to show up properly.
- Can’t find Benedictine or Cherry Heering: Benedictine is sold at most liquor stores; ask if you don’t see it on the shelf. Cherry Heering is the harder one — a cherry brandy or even a small pour of maraschino liqueur can stand in, though the flavor will be slightly different. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish when you’re just making this for the first time.
Keeping and reheating
This cocktail doesn’t keep well once made — the pineapple juice oxidizes and the carbonation from the shaking dissipates within about 20 minutes, so make it right before you serve it. If you want to prep ahead for a group, you can combine the gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine in a pitcher and refrigerate it for up to 4 hours — just leave out the ice and bitters. When you’re ready to serve, pour individual portions over ice in a shaker, shake each one, and add the bitters fresh to each glass. Don’t freeze the pre-mixed batch; the citrus juice turns bitter once frozen and thawed.
Singapore Sling Cocktail: Classic Raffles Hotel Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Hawthorne strainer
- Jigger (1 oz / 2 oz)
- Tall glass (12 oz / 350ml minimum)
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz London dry gin 45ml
- ½ oz Cherry Heering 15ml; a Danish cherry liqueur that adds depth and sweetness
- ¼ oz Cointreau 7.5ml; orange liqueur
- ¼ oz Benedictine 7.5ml; herbal liqueur for complexity
- 4 oz pineapple juice 120ml; fresh juice preferred
- ½ oz lime juice 15ml; freshly squeezed
- ⅓ oz grenadine 10ml
- 1 dash Angostura bitters for aromatic balance
- 12 pieces ice cubes enough to fill the shaker three-quarters full, plus more for the serving glass
Garnish
- 1 slice pineapple
- 1 piece maraschino cherry
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters full with ice cubes.12 pieces ice cubes
- Add gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine to the shaker.1 1/2 oz London dry gin, 1/2 oz Cherry Heering, 1/4 oz Cointreau, 1/4 oz Benedictine, 4 oz pineapple juice, 1/2 oz lime juice, 1/3 oz grenadine
- Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds until the mixture is well-chilled and frothy.
- Strain the mixture into a tall glass (hurricane glass or Collins glass, at least 12 oz / 350ml) filled with fresh ice cubes.12 pieces ice cubes
- Add a dash of Angostura bitters directly into the glass and give it one gentle stir.1 dash Angostura bitters
- Garnish with a pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry on the rim of the glass.1 slice pineapple, 1 piece maraschino cherry
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need all the different liqueurs, or can I skip some?
You need at least the gin, Cherry Heering, and pineapple juice to get something recognizable as a Singapore Sling. Leaving out Cointreau or Benedictine will simplify the flavor noticeably — the drink will be sweeter and less complex, but still drinkable. If you’re buying bottles just for this recipe, know that Benedictine and Cherry Heering are both useful in other cocktails, so they won’t go to waste.
What kind of glass should I use if I don’t have a tall cocktail glass?
Any tall glass that holds at least 12 ounces works fine — a pint glass, a large mason jar, or even a tall tumbler. The tall shape just keeps the ice from melting too fast and gives you room for the full pour plus garnish.
Can I make this without alcohol?
You can make a non-alcoholic version using a non-alcoholic gin (several brands are widely available now), cherry juice in place of Cherry Heering, a small splash of orange juice for the Cointreau, and a drop of vanilla extract to approximate the herbal note from Benedictine. It won’t be identical, but it’s a reasonable stand-in.
My shaker is leaking — can I just stir it instead?
Stirring will combine the ingredients but you’ll lose the foam that shaking creates from the pineapple juice. If your shaker leaks, hold the lid firmly with your palm while shaking over the sink. Alternatively, a large jar with a tight-fitting lid works as a shaker in a pinch.
How strong is this drink?
It contains about 2.5 ounces of spirits total spread across a large glass with 4 ounces of pineapple juice, so it’s moderately strong — roughly equivalent to a standard cocktail. The sweetness and fruit juice mask the alcohol, so it can taste lighter than it is.
Can I batch this for a party?
Yes — multiply the recipe by however many servings you need and combine everything except the ice and bitters in a pitcher or large jar. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Shake each serving individually over ice just before pouring, and add the bitters to each glass separately so the flavor stays sharp.
