Singapore Sling Cocktail - Raffles Hotel Recipe
A Classic cocktail recipe and a slice of Singapore's History
Feb 2, 2009
Somewhere just after the turn of the century, Raffles Hotel barman Mr NgiamTong Boon invented a pink cocktail for the colonial ladies – the Singapore Sling. His recipe book was considered so valuable that it was kept locked in a safe. Visitors may now view the safe and other colonial treasures in the hotel’s museum. A hotel with a museum?
Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Magnificent Raffles Hotel in Singapore is not just a hotel: it is a proud piece of Singapore's history, a Singapore institution, and a must-see tourist attraction. The hotel was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, the founder of Singapore. At $800- $1400 per night, few garden-variety tourists actually stay at Raffles Hotel, but everyone can enjoy an hour or two in the famous Long Bar and order a Singapore Sling.
They’re not cheap, but the visitor is paying for the privilege of being in this wonderfully grand old colonial building, which, since its inception in 1887, has welcomed a troupe of illustrious guests. Guests of Raffles Hotel include Queen Elizabeth II, George H Bush, James Michener, Noel Coward, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.
The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel
Nothing beats the ambiance of the peanut shell-strewn Long Bar, which leads out on to long, broad verandas that overlook Singapore’s busy streets. The lucky patron can sit at a high bar stool and sip this heady pink concoction, while rattan punkahs overhead (broad, sail-like fans) slowly beat the breeze. These punkahs would once have been operated by a punkah-wallah (fan man) with a string attached to his finger or toe, but, thankfully, such menial tasks are now performed by electric motors in post-colonial Singapore.
Anyone who goes to the trouble of collecting the variety of spirits needed to make an authentic Singapore Sling, should go one step further and do this classic cocktail the honor of drinking it in a cool breezy garden setting and dreaming of tropical Singapore.
Singapore Sling Ingredients
- 30 ml Gin
- 15 ml Cherry brandy
- 120 ml pineapple juice
- 15 ml lime juice
- 7.5 ml Cointreau
- 7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
- 10 ml Grenadine
- Dash of Angostura Bitters
- Garnish with a slice of pineapple and cherry
When the calculations are done, the awful truth is that a Singapore Sling contains 70 ml of spirits - 1/3 the volume of this refreshing drink – yet it tastes beguilingly benign. Nevertheless, it’s the equivalent of consuming a half bottle of wine, so be cautious.
Raise a reverent glass to Mr Ngiam, who was very likely paid peanuts for his bar work. May his memory be celebrated as long as the Singapore Sling slips sweetly down a hot dry throat!
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