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Cocktail History
The Sleighbell Sling is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Emma Stokes and was first published in her book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter. Meant to put a holiday-inspired spin on the iconic Singapore Sling, the recipe follows a similar template by calling for gin, citrus, cherry liqueur, Bénédictine, pomegranate syrup, and soda water, but this version replaces the pineapple juice with cranberry.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin because it features a clean and crisp juniper flavor that doesn’t overpower other ingredients in cocktails. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Cranberry Juice: This is the liquid juice of cranberries. We used Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Heering Cherry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Denmark with Stevens cherries, baking spices, almonds, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur.
Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. We used Cointreau because it’s one of the highest quality orange liqueurs on the market. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Orange Sec Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the orange liqueur.
Bénédictine: This is a liqueur made in France with twenty-seven herbs and spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try homemade black tea, honey, and thyme syrup in place of the Bénédictine liqueur.
Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters: This is a food product made with cherry, cloves, cinnamon, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Attawanhood” Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters.
Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an herb. We used fresh rosemary from our herb garden.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Singapore Sling begins with peppery aromas of sage and has a tart cranberry-forward taste that evolves into a sweet lemon-accented herbal gin flavor before finishing with uniquely strong herbal Bénédictine and cherry flavors.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: What’s really just a simple ingredient swap makes a world of difference in flavor and texture. We think the Sleighbell Sling would be right at home on a winter night on a rooftop somewhere.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This wintry take on a Singapore Sling was made after we found a similar recipe that claimed to draw inspiration from the classic, but it was really more of a red Tom Collins. Kendall actually decided to merge the two by adding back in most of the essential ingredients of the Sling while keeping the substitution of cranberry juice. The result is a tasty combination of slightly tart cranberry, herbal and noticeable liqueur, and cherry flavors, and it does a good job of tying the feeling that the classic evokes with the tastes of a nice, cold Christmas night.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Obviously from the name, this is meant to be a Christmas-inspired take on the popular Singapore Sling, but as Alex mentioned, the recipe listed in the book really wasn’t even a Sling, in my opinion. Half of the original’s ingredients were not just swapped out for seasonal ones but omitted altogether, and I knew if we were going to share a Christmas Sling, we’d both want it to be little closer to the classic’s specs. I took some liberties and made this one up myself ahead of our tasting, and I’m pretty proud it landed four stars from Alex. I liked the way the cranberry played with the other ingredients and would definitely recommend it to friends who already enjoy a Sling!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter by Emma Stokes.
Add gin, cranberry juice, lemon juice, cherry liqueur, triple sec, Bénédictine, grenadine, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh cubed ice.
Garnish with cranberries and sage.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, cranberry juice, lemon juice, cherry liqueur, triple sec, Bénédictine, grenadine, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh cubed ice.
Garnish with cranberries and sage.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur, Lyre’s Orange Sec Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the orange liqueur, and homemade black tea, honey, and thyme syrup in place of the Bénédictine liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Holiday Gin Mule: A blackcurrant gin cocktail made with apple cinnamon syrup, lime juice, ginger beer, rosemary, and cranberries
Kohler Mint Cocoa: A chocolate mint brandy cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Sugar Cookie Cocktail: A vanilla vodka cocktail made with amaretto, Irish cream liqueur, heavy cream, simple syrup, and sprinkles
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, an orange wedge, mint, and cranberries
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