PERSPECTIVES/ THE CONSULTING GROUP, LLC
  • Home
    • Who We Serve
    • How We Work
    • Services >
      • Concept Development
      • Strategic Planning
      • Brand Development
      • Operations
      • HACCP / Food Safety
      • Menu / Product Development
      • Marketing / Research
      • Design
      • Market Planning / Site Analysis
  • Why Perspectives?
    • About Us
    • Principals
    • Mission Statement
    • Code of Ethics
  • Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Client List
  • Contact Us
    • Phone, Address & Contact
  • Covid-19 Survival Guide
  • Perspectives On Food

Cooking Lesson #38— Wendel’s Singapore Sling

5/22/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
How you doin’? It’s Friday… and almost time for Happy Hour! There are some memories I retreat to in the back of my mind when I find I can’t have a proper Happy Hour. Let me tell you a little story…
 
Wendel was his name and Wendelizing was his game. Wendel was the barkeep at a local dive bar across the street from USC. After some really rough days matriculating at the castle of higher learning a bunch of us would visit Wendel. Wendel would entice us to drink Singapore Slings—many of them. For the uninitiated you should know a Singapore Sling goes down really easily. Before long and after two or 3 of them it was time to go back to the dorm.
 
So, what is a Singapore Sling you ask? According to the historian for Raffles Hotel, the intent was to produce a cocktail that looked like fruit juice and had a rosy color that would appeal to women. It was, as the hotel notes, "a socially acceptable punch for the ladies."
 
The Singapore Sling is a classic gin-based cocktail that every cocktail connoisseur needs to taste. The story goes that it was developed by a guy by the name of Ngiam Tong Boon at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore sometime around 1915. It is a smooth, slow, and semi-sweet cocktail with a complex flavor that has remained a favorite for over 100 years—yes, people still drink them.
 
The original recipe may be lost to the ages and few people can agree on the “right” recipe. The disparities seem to have begun as early as the drink's first decade and they've only grown over the years.
 
This recipe is the one we served at Fanny’s Fish Market (a chain of seafood joints I owned up in the SFO Bay area) and is a more contemporary variation. Some versions include anything from pineapple to grenadine or liqueurs like Cointreau. A couple of today's top cocktail historians have also dug up older recipes which are worthy of discussion and a taste or two, or three. No matter how you end up taking your Singapore Sling, it is a fascinating cocktail that is well worth your time to explore. Take 3-minutes to “Wendelize” your friends with Fanny’s version of a Singapore Sling.
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces gin
1-ounce [1]Benedictine
1-ounce lime juice
1/4-ounce simple syrup
2-ounces club soda
1/2-ounce cherry brandy (or kirsch or Cherry Heering)
Garnish:  lemon slice and a stem-on maraschino cherry
 
Directions
  1. Pour the gin, Benedictine, lime juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a highball glass over crushed ice.
  4. Pour in the club soda.
  5. Float the cherry brandy on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon.
  6. Garnish with the lemon slice and cherry.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret: Did you notice the lack of pineapple juice? This was the "key" ingredient in Raffles' Cricket Club recipe, so that may have been how Ngiam improved on his original cocktail that was so popular throughout Singapore at the time.
 
If you want to try another popular Singapore Sling—call it No. 2—pineapple juice is used at a full 2-ounce pour, equaling that of Beefeater Gin. It also adds 1/2 ounce each Cherry Heering and Triple Sec with 1/4-ounce Benedictine and 3/4-ounce lime juice. It's topped with Angostura bitters and club soda. This was the recipe found on a Raffles coaster, though it lacked the measurements, so experienced bartenders had to wing it on their own.

[1] What is Benedictine liqueur?  In 1510, the Benedictine monk Don Bernardo Vincelli created the recipe for this French liqueur, which calls for 27 plants and spices. The three main ingredients are Angelica, Hyssop and Lemon Balm. It has the flavor of sweet honey accented with holiday spices, stone fruits, and an herbal nuance.

Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Click here to send your thoughts.

Please remember when making purchases—Give our American farmers and ranchers the business—source local foods, shop small (neighborhood owned stores) and buy when you see Made in the USA on the label.

To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Thanks for reading!

#SingaporeSling #Gin #Singapore #RafflesHotel #HappyHour #Cocktails #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    For over 4 decades collaboration and vision have been the cornerstones of our approach to developing innovative solutions. We fuel innovation, uncover opportunities, discover trends and embrace sustainability, turning imaginative ideas into profitable realities.

    We are expert in the following areas: Strategic Planning, Concept and Brand Development, Market Research, Operations Systems Planning, Operations Programming, Menu Planning & Inventory Optimization, Product Development, Training Programs, HACCP / Sanitation / Food Safety, Co-Packer Evaluation & Coordination, Food Processing & Facility Plant Design.

    Categories

    All
    Air Fryer
    Appetizers
    Baking
    Beef
    B'Fast/Brunch
    Chicken
    Cocktails
    Condiments
    Confections
    Dessert
    Dinner
    Entrees
    Gluten Free
    Gluten-Free
    Happy Hour
    Health & Beauty
    Healthy Recipes
    Holiday Recipes
    Instant Pot
    Instant-pot
    Keto
    Kids
    Lunch
    Lunch/Brunch
    Pets
    Pork
    Poultry
    Poulty
    Salads
    Sauces
    Seafood
    Sides
    Snacks
    Soups
    Sous Vide
    Special Edition
    Turkey
    Veal
    Vegetarian

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

www.perspectives-la.com
Copyright © 2021 Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC  | Henderson, NV 89052 |   310-477-8877
  • Home
    • Who We Serve
    • How We Work
    • Services >
      • Concept Development
      • Strategic Planning
      • Brand Development
      • Operations
      • HACCP / Food Safety
      • Menu / Product Development
      • Marketing / Research
      • Design
      • Market Planning / Site Analysis
  • Why Perspectives?
    • About Us
    • Principals
    • Mission Statement
    • Code of Ethics
  • Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Client List
  • Contact Us
    • Phone, Address & Contact
  • Covid-19 Survival Guide
  • Perspectives On Food