Sling Glass
A tall footed glass of around 400ml, wider at the top than a Collins and shorter than a chimney. It is the glass the Singapore Sling was built for, and it sits in the gap between a highball and a hurricane.
Alternatives
Budget Alternative
Tall stemmed wine glasses (£4–6): workable for casual service, but lack the correct proportions and stability.
Premium Option
Libbey Embassy or Riedel Drink Specific Sling Glass (£30–35 per pair): refined proportions, excellent balance, suitable for professional service.
Care & Maintenance
Care Instructions
- Hand wash or gentle glassware cycle only
- Dry immediately with a lint-free cloth
- Polish before service to maintain clarity
- Store stem-up with adequate spacing
- Inspect stems frequently: height increases leverage and break risk
Expected Lifespan
- •Premium glass: 4–6 years with careful handling
- •Standard glass: 2–3 years in professional use
- •Budget glass: 12–18 months before stem or rim damage
Usage
The Singapore Sling, the Gin Sling and the longer, fruit-led drinks that want ice, volume and a garnish. Around 400ml, filled with cubed ice, with room at the top for a cherry and a pineapple wedge on the rim.
Raffles and the Shape
The Singapore Sling was created at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel, most likely by Ngiam Tong Boon some time around 1915, and the glass came with the drink.
It is a footed tumbler: a short pedestal, a bowl that widens gently from the base to a generous opening, and around 400ml of capacity. That flare at the top is the defining feature and the practical one, since it takes a substantial garnish without crowding it.
The gentle widening also means the drink looks fuller than the same volume in a straight-sided glass, which mattered to a hotel bar selling a drink that was, by the standards of 1915, expensive.
Between a Collins and a Hurricane
A Collins glass is straight-sided, narrower and usually 350ml. A hurricane is curved, flared and 450ml or more. The sling glass sits between them and shares something with each.
Against a Collins, it holds more and takes a proper garnish; against a hurricane, it is more stable, less theatrical, and reads as a serious drink rather than a holiday one.
In practice a hurricane glass substitutes for it perfectly and most bars use one. A Collins works at a squeeze, though a full Singapore Sling is a lot to fit into 350ml with ice: gin, cherry liqueur, Benedictine, Cointreau, pineapple, lime, grenadine, Angostura and soda.
Cubed, Not Crushed
This separates it from the tiki glasses it resembles. A Sling is built on cubed ice, and the drink is meant to hold its balance over twenty minutes rather than being drunk fast against a melting slush.
Fill the glass completely with cubes before building. A full load melts far more slowly than a partial one, and a Sling served over three cubes in a 400ml glass is thin before it reaches the table.
Crushed ice belongs to the swizzles and the tiki canon. Using it here turns a long, structured drink into a dilute one within ten minutes.
Whether to Buy One
Probably not, and that is an honest answer for a glass this specialised. A hurricane glass does everything it does, and most homes that make a Singapore Sling make one or two a year.
It comes into its own if you serve long fruit-led drinks regularly and want something between a highball and full tiki. The footed shape is more elegant than either and works for punches served individually, coolers and long fizzes.
Buy plain glass with a solid foot and a rim wide enough to hook a pineapple wedge over. Hand-wash: the join between foot and bowl is the stress point, as it is on any footed glass.
Pro Tip
For a classic Singapore Sling, chill the sling glass thoroughly, use clear ice, and strain carefully to avoid excess foam. The tall, stemmed shape rewards balance and precision, making the drink feel refined despite its tropical complexity.
What to Look For
- Tall, slender profile: defines the sling aesthetic
- Thin rim: improves mouthfeel on long sips
- Stable stem: height increases tipping risk
- Clear, distortion-free glass: slings are visually judged
- Moderate bowl width: wide enough for ice, narrow enough for structure
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Substituting hurricanes: curves disrupt the intended silhouette
- Over-icing: leads to rapid dilution in tall stemmed glassware
- Excessive foam: overwhelms the narrow opening
- Over-garnishing: vertical height amplifies clutter
- Treating as interchangeable with highballs: intent matters
Professional Tips
- Cubed ice, not crushed. A Sling should not dilute fast.
- The foot is the tell. It should sit off the table.
- Fill with ice first, then build. Never the other way round.
- A hurricane glass substitutes perfectly. A Collins is tight.
Specifications
Material
Glass
Capacity
300–400ml
Details
Tall narrow bowl, thin rim, long stem, straight or gently flared sides; visually closer to a stemmed highball than a hurricane
History & Context
The sling is one of the oldest recorded cocktail families, originally referring to simple mixtures of spirit, sugar, and water. As recipes evolved and ice became standard, the sling glass emerged as a vessel that could present long, aromatic drinks with elegance rather than bulk. The Singapore Sling cemented the glass’s legacy, pairing tropical flavours with a refined presentation suited to grand hotel bars. Today, the sling glass remains a specialist choice, ideal when a drink should feel celebratory and composed rather than purely refreshing.
Common Questions
What is a sling glass?
A footed tumbler of around 400ml that widens gently toward a generous opening. It came with the Singapore Sling from the Long Bar at Raffles around 1915, and the flare at the top is what takes a substantial garnish.
What's the difference between a sling glass and a hurricane glass?
A hurricane is curved, flared and 450ml or more, built for crushed ice and spectacle. A sling glass is smaller, straighter and footed, built for cubed ice and a drink meant to hold its balance for twenty minutes.
What drinks suit a sling glass?
The Singapore Sling and Gin Sling above all, plus long fruit-led drinks, coolers, individually served punches and tall fizzes. Anything wanting cubed ice, real volume and a garnish hooked over a wide rim.
Do I need a sling glass?
Honestly, no. A hurricane glass does everything it does, and most homes make a Singapore Sling once or twice a year. It earns a place only if you serve long fruit-led drinks often and want something short of full tiki.