A sling is a traditional family of cocktail that was historically made with sugar, hot or cold water, spice (most typically nutmeg), and a spirit. The sling was intended to be a single-serving punch and over the years it has evolved. Its modern form, it is almost always made with Gin, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and soda water.
The Singapore Sling is the most famous “sling” cocktail and is attributed to Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon who created it in the early 20th century (containing Gin, Grand Marnier, cherry liqueur, herbal liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, and club soda). It is a variant of the Gin Sling.