There’s something about this time of year that makes us crave tropical drinks. Maybe it’s that spring is just around the corner, and outdoor happy hours are calling. Or perhaps the rainy winter has induced daydreams about lying on a hot sandy beach with an umbrella drink in hand. Either way, a Singapore Sling, the timeless Tiki-style sip, is the perfect cocktail to tide you over until you can pull out your bathing suit and sandals.

Like many classic cocktails, its origins are somewhat hazy, but the Raffles Hotel in Singapore claims to be the home of the original Singapore Sling. Over the years, the exact recipe has been lost, with bartenders adding jiggers of this and dashes of that. The current pineapple and grenadine version, however inauthentic, is still pretty darn tasty and worth shaking up. Don’t be intimidated by all the ingredients, they’re all very easy to find and useful for other making other drinks.

Singapore Sling

2 oz. gin
2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. Cherry Heering
¼ oz. Cointreau
¼ oz. Benedictine
¼ oz. grenadine
Dash Angostura Bitters
½ oz. soda water (or to taste)

Shake everything except the soda water in a shaker with cracked ice. Stir in soda water and strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a cherry, orange wheel and chunk of pineapple.

Photo by Jen Killius