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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 to make it more festive.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin.
Cranberry Juice: This is the liquid juice of cranberries. I used Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Heering Cherry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Denmark with Stevens cherries, baking spices, almonds, sugar, and alcohol.
Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. I used Cointreau.
Bénédictine: This is a liqueur made in France with twenty-seven herbs and spices, sugar, and alcohol.
Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.
Cherry, Clove, & Cinnamon Bitters: This is a food product made with cherry, cloves, cinnamon, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I 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. I used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. I used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an herb. I used fresh rosemary.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I 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. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Bright pink-ish red hue with an ombré effect
• Aroma: Peppery sage, cranberry, and citrus
• Taste: A tart cranberry-forward taste that evolves into lemon-accented herbal fin
• Finish: Strong herbal Bénédictine and cherry notes
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “Obviously from the name, this is meant to be a Christmas-inspired take on the popular Singapore Sling, but the recipe listed for the Sleighbell Sling 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 I was going to share a Christmas Sling, I’d want it to be little closer to the classic’s specs. I took some liberties and made this one up myself ahead of the tasting, and I’m pretty proud of it. 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.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-12.
Sleighbell Sling
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 to make it more festive.
Ingredients
Method
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Add gin, cranberry juice, lemon juice, cherry liqueur, triple sec, Bénédictine, grenadine, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh cubed ice.
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Garnish with cranberries and sage.
