Many people know about Raffles Hotel going under a major revamp but do you know that Long Bar in Raffles Hotel has finally been fully restored and the bar is now back at Level 2 of Raffles Arcade? Yes, you can now enjoy the original Singapore Sling again at where it was first created with a refreshed recipe!
Have anyone ever wondered the origins of Singapore Sling? This cocktail was actually created by a Hainanese bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, at Long Bar in Raffles Hotel in 1915. During that time, women were not allowed to drink alcohol in public and an officer who was smitten by a beautiful lady at the end of the bar, wanted to buy that lady a drink. However, since drinking alcohol was not appropriate at that time, Ngiam created Singapore Sling to look like a fruit punch so that that officer can send a drink to a lady at the end of the bar. In Hainanese dialect, the word “Commander” was pronounced as “si ling”, hence this is how the name Singapore Sling came from. Like all love story, the story ended with the duo happily married.
With the restored Long Bar, Singapore Sling has been refreshed with elevated ingredients while retaining its century-old recipe. The “new” Singapore Sling is made using Widges Gin that has been specially created for Long Bar, fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, Curaçao, Bénédictine together with cherry liqueur to give that lovely pink hue, grenadine, that is made of 100% pomegranate juice, and bespoke cocktail bitters. The improved Singapore Sling is now more balanced, smoother and has a lovely crisp finish.
Besides retaining the deco, polished teakwood bar, wicker chairs, the room cooled by traditional reed fans, like how it was in the early 1900s where the plantation owners gathered, the tradition of having peanuts directly from the gunny sack and throwing the peanuts shells on the floor continues at the Long Bar. Woohoo~~ Licence to “litter”. hahaha if you know what I mean.
On top of the Original Singapore Sling ($32), there are 3 other renditions of Slings available on the menu as well as a selection of craft cocktails. While the hotel is set to reopen in the mid of this year, keep Long Bar in mind if you are looking for a place to enjoy some beautiful cocktails (start from $28) while soaking in the good old vibes of the 1900s.
Long Bar
Level 2 Raffles Arcade Raffles Hotel Singapore 1 Beach Road Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 6412 1816
Email: Singapore@Raffles.com
Operating Hours: 11am to 11pm, daily
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