Kadamba Reimagines the Singapore Sling in Hyderabad
History On The Rocks is Goya’s cocktail series in partnership with Smitha Menon. Here, we explore the often-unknown origin story behind our favourite classic cocktails. We will also be bringing you a modern take on the classic, from some of our favourite bars in the country. This week, the Singapore sling.
It’s a drink with a feminist history.
The year was 1915 and Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, namely the Long Bar, was known for its gin slings. It was a drink enjoyed by men because women couldn’t yet drink in public. So, the head bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, made a cocktail for the women, which looked like a fruit punch but was actually a gin sling. This drink became the Singapore Sling. The Singapore Sling made with gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Benedictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and Angostura bitters, and served in a tall glass.
Fun fact: for every 25 Slings sold, the Raffles plants a tree in the Sumatran or Kalimantan rainforest.
The newest bar in Hyderabad, Kadamba, has their own interpretation of the classic Singapore Sling — retaining its tropical, fruity character while introducing an in-house herbal liqueur and bitters to create greater depth and a distinctive identity. The pineapple provides a creamy texture, the lime brings freshness, and the bitters leave a balanced, aromatic finish that makes the cocktail both refreshing and complex.
KADAMBA’S RECIPE FOR SINGAPORE SLING
Ingredients
45 ml gin
10 ml orange liqueur
10 ml in-house herbal liqueur
15 ml pomegranate & cherry syrup
60 ml fresh pineapple juice
10 ml fresh lime juice
2 dashes Kadamba Bitters
Method
Chill your serving glass with ice or keep it in the freezer while preparing the drink.
Fill a cocktail shaker with plenty of fresh cubed ice. Pour in the ingredients.
Shake hard for 12–15 seconds. This chills the cocktail, creates proper dilution, and aerates the fresh pineapple juice, giving the drink a silky, foamy texture.
Discard the ice from the chilled glass and refill it with fresh ice (or one large block if that’s your preferred presentation).
Double strain the cocktail into the prepared glass to achieve a smooth texture while removing unwanted ice shards and pineapple pulp.
Garnish according to your concept (for example, a dehydrated pineapple slice, Luxardo cherry, edible flower, citrus peel, or a fresh herb from your herbal liqueur).
History on the Rocks is a series in partnership with Smitha Menon. Join us as we explore the stories behind our favourite cocktails and how they traveled to us. Each history lesson is followed by a cocktail recipe from some of the country’s top bartenders.
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