80 / 96
"The first craving of an American in the mornings is for ardent
Spirits mixed with sugar, mint, or some other hot herb, which are
called slings." 1807.
Slings
A Sling, so we are told by long-ago writers, is "an
American drink composed of brandy, rum, or other
spirit, and water, sweetened and flavored," and had noth
ing to do with "the slings and arrows of outrageous for
tune," so feelingly bespoken by Hamlet in his morose
soliloquy.
As long ago as 1788 a certain shipwrecked scribe re
corded that he and his mates found "a case-bottle filled
with Holland's [gin], of which each of us took a sling."
This indicates the word originally had the same mean
ing as "draught," "pull," or "swig," as Americans de
scribe the swigging of a healthy mouthful from a jug.
A Bitter Sling, quite a favorite in the old days as an
electioneering potion, was described in 1806 thus: "a
stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar,
water, and bitters."
Singapore Sling
V2 jigger dry gin
54 jigger apricot brandy
54 jigger cherry brandy
54 lime—juice only
seltzer water
To sling this drink you must first provide yourself with a highball
glass nearly filled with cracked ice. In it squeeze the juice of
a lime, then add the gin, cherry brandy, bencdictine, and all that
can go in of seltzer water. Frappe with a spoon, or in a shaker.
Garnish with fruit.
This is a drink that makes you itch to travel—or any
way step out. In olden times a drink was slung from
one mug to another in mixing, and that's how the Sling
derived its name. The word itself came from the Low
German slingen, which means to swallow.
Here's slinging at you.
Eighty