Raffles 1887
Legendary Libations
The Boston Sling: a New England twist on a 100-year-old recipe
RAFFLES bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling in 1915 and the sophisticated, rose-pink libation quickly became the hotel’s signature drink. Now, over a century later, there’s a new cocktail kid on the block: the Boston Sling.
Opened in 2023, Raffles Boston is the first Raffles hotel in the Americas. What better way to have celebrated its launch than by reimagining the classic Singapore Sling through the eyes, palate and history of the New England city which, after all, inspired Cheers, one of the most successful TV series ever. (You can still visit the pub that inspired the fictional ‘bar where everyone knows your name’ across from Boston Public Garden.)
Like the Singapore Sling, the base spirit for the Boston Sling is gin. Gin has had a strong presence in Boston culture right from its colonial days, through the revolutionary era – when establishments such as the Warren Tavern, founded in 1780, became regular drinking haunts – to the lively bar scene found in the city today. Naturally Raffles Boston doesn’t use any old spirit: this is Blind Duck Gin, created by a local spirits producer for the hotel’s 18th-floor speakeasy bar. Blind Duck has a deliberately light, subtle profile which allows it to play well with a number of other ingredients, making it the perfect base for cocktails.
What to add to the gin? The original Sling combines, among other ingredients, Benedictine, cherry liqueur and pineapple juice which give it its pink hue and subtly tropical taste. In New England, the local flavours of apples and cranberries are hard to miss, especially around the fall season, and it was clear they should play a prominent role in the Boston Sling. So to the gin base were added cranberry compote and the hotel’s house-made apple shrub – a traditional syrup of fruit, sugar, and vinegar – which, as well as being extremely tasty, keeps the cocktail lively with its punchy acidity.
Finally, in went varying measures of Drambuie, Amaro Nonino and pomegranate liqueur. These provide a lighter, more fruit and honey-forward quality than is created by the classic Sling ingredients. A dash of lime juice for balance, a vigorous shake, and we’re done.
The Boston Sling went through many iterations as the bar mixologists prepped for the hotel’s opening, working together to create a drink they could be proud to call their own. The delicious result is much more Boston than Singapore – but every bit as Raffles.
How to make a Boston Sling
2 oz gin
½ oz pomegranate liqueur
¼ oz Drambuie
½ oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz cranberry compote*
1 oz apple shrub**
½ oz fresh lime juice
Combine above ingredients with ice, shake vigorously to mix, and chill. Strain into a highball glass over crushed or pebble ice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
*Cranberry Compote
Make classic simple syrup by combining equal weights of sugar and water, bringing to a simmer and cooling once all sugar is dissolved. Combine equal volumes of simple syrup and canned cranberry sauce in a blender and purée until smooth and combined.
**Apple shrub
Chop four apples into small to medium sized cubes, discarding cores and seeds. Place apples in a pot with 2 cups white vinegar and 1 quart sugar. Turn on to medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, mixing to combine thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil, and allow apples to soften. Remove from heat and chill. Let the mixture steep for one to two days before straining apples out and reserving for use.Pour ¼ oz or 7ml of crème de fraise des bois into a champagne flute
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