Slings

Last week, a Speyside Sling, using Famous Grouse whisky, was my first “cocktail” of the year. It was a great combination but slings are light and fruity drinks and I over did the ice, watering it down too much.  A sling is a type of alcoholic drink that at first was not considered a cocktail.  The term cocktail was reserved in the 19th century for drinks that contain bitters. This distinction is no longer made, and all alcoholic mixed drinks are now essentially considered cocktails. 

The typical sling usually has several base ingredients, some type of alcohol, fruit flavors (particularly citrus), water (flat or fizzy), and sugar. The tradition of serving this drink cold, which is now the preferred method, came into popularity in the early 20th century, particularly with the invention of the Singapore Sling.  The invention of this drink is credited to Ngiam Tong Boom, a bartender at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore during the early 20th century. The Singapore Sling may include the following:

•        Gin •        Cherry brandy •        Cointreau •        Benedictine •        Pineapple juice •        Lime juice •        Grenadine

The drink is garnished with mixed fruit, and served either straight up or over ice, depending upon the individual drinker’s preference. Early recipes suggest the ingredients were shaken with ice and then strained and served straight up. (Many recipes of the Singapore version call for a dash of bitters, which would technically be outside the traditional classification for slings.)  The gin sling is much more true to form containing only gin, lemon juice, sugar, water, and possibly an orange peel twist. The Highland sling substitutes Scotch for gin, but is quite similar in other respects.