Each country has its own dishes or drinks, which it is proud of. Singapore is no exception. Guests and locals can always taste the national ancient drink, a wonderful alcoholic cocktail - "Singapore Sling".
The story of the cocktail
The history of this drink dates back to the first half of the last century. This delicious-tasting cocktail appeared in the Long Bar of the Ruffles Hotel in Singapore. The Singapore Sling cocktail has grown into many legends, so it deserves to be considered a real treasure of this country.
One legend says that the cocktail was invented by the bartender, whose name is Nghiam Tong Bun. The fact is that “sling” is translated into Russian as “commander”. According to legend, a certain officer asked to prepare a drink to win the heart of his lady. To attract the officer, the bartender was able to show ingenuity and created a wonderful drink, which over time became Singapore's national pride.
Singapore Sling Cocktail Recipe
Almost 100 years have passed since the day this drink was created. Today, no one will say the original composition of the cocktail - over time, its true recipe has been lost. For this reason, even the Singapore Sling cocktail, which can be tasted in the Long Bar of the hotel where it was created (Ruffles), is just a distant reminder of the true drink, according to the recollection of the bartenders.
Generally, in the sling drink, the main ingredients are water, gin, and sugar. This cocktail “went further”, as some more ingredients are added to the contents.
The composition of the cocktail "Singapore Sling" includes the following ingredients:
- Gin (30 ml).
- Cherry brandy (15 ml).
- Pineapple juice (120 ml).
- Lime juice (15 ml).
- Pomegranate Syrup (10 ml).
- Orange liquor (7.5 ml).
- Liqueurs "Cointreau" and "Benedictine" (7.5 ml).
- Cocktail Cherry.
- Ice cubes.
There are a lot of ingredients in the cocktail, but precisely because of this, it acquires its own unique, refined taste. These ingredients make the cocktail deceiving. At first glance, it may seem that the taste of this drink is delicate and sweet, but in fact, after using it, there remains some bitterness, as well as the desire to try it again.
How to make a gin cocktail at home
The preparation of this drink is very simple, and everyone can make it. First, you need to select the ingredients you need for cooking. To make cocktails with gin at home, you need some appliances, but if there are none, then you can’t make a drink. To prepare a Sling cocktail, you need the following devices:
- Shaker.
- Press for citrus.
- Highball
- Strainer.
Cooking:
- Ice cubes are placed in the shaker and all other components are poured.
- All this must be thoroughly shaken with a strainer.
- After the liquid is poured into a glass and decorated with a cherry.
Cooking Tips
All bartenders preparing this cocktail use and recommend only natural ingredients to everyone. It is very undesirable to use juices from packs, even if they are very expensive. They cannot compare with fresh products from which juice has just been squeezed.
"Singapore Sling" has a very unusual taste, despite the components that make up it, it is slightly bitter thanks to gin, and cherry pits and natural juices add tenderness to the taste.
Where can I try the real "Singapore Sling"
Gin cocktails at home, of course, can and should be prepared, but where is the real "Singapore Sling" served? This cocktail in the homeland of its appearance is far from uncommon, but it is also served on airplanes of Singapore Airlines. You can try the drink in any bar in Singapore, but there is no guarantee that it will be prepared according to the old, real recipe, and the taste will be the same legendary and unique. In most bars, guests will be offered only an analog of this cocktail, which, although similar to the original, will not convey all the facets of an unforgettable taste.
For those who want to not just knock over a couple of glasses, but plunge into the real atmosphere of one of the oldest hotels in the Southeast Asian region, you need to go to the Long Bar, which is located in the Ruffles Hotel. Only in this place you can get real pleasure from the unique taste of this cocktail, especially sitting in the wicker chairs of the bar, in which the drink was born.