For a century Singapore’s Raffle’s Hotel has been famous not only for its luxury and history, but also for the Singapore Sling, a cocktail that one just has to have when one visits this quintessential landmark. And now, to celebrate its 100th birthday, the hotel is giving us the recipe….
Come September 2015, the famous cocktail, the Singapore Sling will celebrates its centenary, 100 years of being served at the sumptuous Raffles Hotel in Singapore. And if you haven’t had the privilege of staying at this iconic hotel and tasting the quintessential cocktail at the famous Long Bar, we suggest you book yourself a trip to Singapore right away.
Interestingly enough, in the early 1900s, men usually drank whisky and gin in public – however, it was not considered good manners for women to drink alcohol in public. And so a drink for the ladies was invented at the historic Raffles Hotel in Singapore in 1915. It was a cocktail that looked similar to fruit juice, but it had added ingredients in the form of colorless alcohol, namely gin and various liqueurs. When poured it looked pretty and feminine, much like a fruit punch. The cocktail was named the Singapore Sling and it was an instant hit.
It wasn’t long before people were coming to Singapore, and visiting the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar just to sample a cocktail. In fact, the cocktail has become synonymous with a stay in Singapore, and visitors here can’t leave the city without sampling one.
Because of its popularity and world acclaim, the hotel has decided to reveal the recipe for this iconic cocktail, whose recipe still remains unchanged since its inception. Raffles Singapore can rest assured that everybody who makes a Singapore Sling in the comfort of their own home is unlikely to forgo a trip to Singapore, or a stay at the luxurious Raffles establishment. In fact, being able to savor the cocktail at home will probably make them hanker after a trip to Singapore!
So, just in time for the summer, here’s the recipe for this iconic cocktail…
Singapore Sling
Shake the following ingredients together:
30ml gin, 15ml Cherry Brandy, 7.5ml Dom Benedictin, 7.5ml Cointreau, 15ml lime juice and 10ml Grenadine. Add a dash of Angustora Bitters and garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry. If you’d like a sparkling version of a Singapore Sling, you can add a little champagne.