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The Singapore Sling: Fact vs Fiction at Raffles Hotel
A concise Singapore guide to the Singapore Sling — the cocktail's disputed origins, Raffles Hotel's Long Bar traditions, and practical tips for tasting or making the iconic drink.
The Singapore Sling is as much a story as a drink — part colonial romance, part modern marketing.
At Raffles, the Long Bar experience — peanuts, slow service and a pink cocktail — is what people come for.
Why the Singapore Sling still matters in Singapore
The Singapore Sling is more than a pink cocktail — it’s a piece of the city’s social history. Mentioned in guidebooks, postcards and social itineraries for generations, the Sling has become shorthand for colonial-era Singapore and the Raffles Hotel experience along Orchard Road.
Locals and visitors encounter the Sling in very different contexts: some see it as a tourist ritual to be ticked off at the Long Bar, others enjoy it as a refreshing drink between supper runs or after a day exploring Tiong Bahru and the East Coast. Understanding the myths behind the drink helps you enjoy it with a bit of context rather than seeing it as just another cocktail.
- Linked inextricably with Raffles Hotel and its Long Bar
- Part of Singapore’s identity in travel writing and souvenir culture
- A drink that spans generations — from colonial clubs to modern bars
Separating myth from origin story
At the heart of every Sling conversation is the origin story. The most commonly repeated version credits Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender at Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar, who is said to have created the drink around the early 20th century. Other cocktails and punch-style drinks with similar names appear in older cocktail books, which complicates the narrative.
Historians and cocktail enthusiasts point out that recipe lists, travel writers and hotel marketing have all played a part in turning a likely-local bar recipe into an icon. The result is a mix of fact, embellishment and savvy branding — useful to appreciate when you’re sipping under the Long Bar’s fans.
- Common attribution: Ngiam Tong Boon, Long Bar bartender
- Confusingly similar cocktails existed in early 20th-century cocktail books
- Hotel marketing helped cement the Sling as 'Singapore’s cocktail'
- Accept both the myth and the messy historical evidence — both are part of the story
Raffles Long Bar: the experience (not just the drink)
If you go to Raffles for a Sling, you’re buying into an experience: colonial-era interiors, the peanut-shell-strewn floor, polite but slow service and the sense that you’re taking part in a ritual. The Long Bar remains on many visitors’ must-see lists for its ambience as much as for the cocktail.
Expect a queue at peak tourist times (late mornings to early evenings) and a formal-ish tone compared with neighbourhood bars. The Long Bar sits in the Orchard/City Hall precinct, so it’s easy to combine with shopping on Orchard Road or a walk through the Padang and the Civic District.
- Popular times: late morning for tourists, early evening for cocktail hour
- Dress: smart casual; check Raffles’ visitor rules for entry
- Booking: recommend reservations for groups or weekend visits
- Tradition: peanuts on the floor — don’t be alarmed, it’s part of the charm
What’s actually in a Singapore Sling (and how it tastes)
There is no single canonical recipe. The Raffles-style Sling tends to be gin-based, with Cherry Heering (a cherry liqueur), Bénédictine or other herbal liqueurs, orange curaçao or Cointreau, pineapple and lime juices, and grenadine for colour. Versions in cocktail guides and bars range from punchier, sweeter mixes to drier, more spirit-forward takes.
Tasting notes: expect fruity, sweet-tart and aromatic layers — cherry and pineapple up front, citrus brightness, and a lingering herbaceous warmth from Bénédictine or similar modifiers. Modern bartenders sometimes lighten the sweetness or add Angostura bitters for balance; frozen Slings and riffs with local twists (pandan or gula melaka) also appear on local menus.
- Core flavours: cherry, pineapple, citrus and gin
- Variations exist — ask if the bar serves the 'classic' or a modern reinterpretation
- Good for: midday refreshment, poolside sipping, or as part of a relaxed bar crawl
Try one at home — simple tips for an honest Sling
You don’t need exotic ingredients to make a pleasant Sling in Singapore. Key components are a good London-style gin, Cherry Heering or a cherry liqueur substitute, a measure of orange liqueur, fresh pineapple or pineapple juice, fresh lime and a dash of grenadine for colour.
Practical tips: use fresh lime for brightness, balance the sweetness with extra lime or a few dashes of bitters, and garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry. If Cherry Heering is hard to find, a dark cherry liqueur or a quality grenadine plus cherry syrup can stand in.
- Basic home recipe: gin + Cherry Heering + Cointreau + pineapple juice + lime + grenadine
- Substitutions: cherry syrup + quality grenadine if Cherry Heering unavailable
- Make ahead: batch as a punch for small gatherings, keep chilled
- Pairing: try with Singapore chilli crab or fried mantou for a contrast of sweet and savoury
