Musings from Singapore: The Infamous Sling

Us at the Long Bar, sipping the famous Sling.

You've probably heard of the Singapore Sling. Heck, you've probably had one.

It's a cocktail that mixes gin, pineapple juice, grenadine and other things to make a delicious, fruity tropical beverage. The cocktail was invented by bartenders at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and has grown to worldwide renown and popularity in the last 100 years. 

When telling people I was coming to Singapore, many of them asked if I was going to have a Singapore Sling. And anyone who had been here told me to go to the Raffles Hotel and have a Sling at the home of the Sling.

So I did.

The Raffles Hotel was founded in 1887 and named for Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. Sir Stamford Raffles was a British statesman who led expeditions and conquests of the far east for the British Empire. He spent time in the growing ports of Malaysia before founding Singapore as an entity. His role in positioning Singapore as a vital port city and economic player in the Asian trade markets is respected and much of the city now is named for him. For example, the Raffles Hotel, Raffles City mall, Raffles Hospital, Raffles Place, Raffles Design Institute.....

The Raffles Hotel has undergone many  upgrades, expansions and changes over the years and is one of the foremost hotels in the city. With beautiful verandas with rattan furniture and ceiling fans and festive decor, it's popular among visiting business travelers and dignitaries. When my friends Will & Kate came to visit, that's where they stayed. The week they were here was the 125th anniversary of the hotel, so that's the week I decided to visit the Long Bar myself.

In honor of the occasion, the Long Bar had created a special anniversary recipe Sling, which included champagne. For the sake of thorough research, I had to try both the original recipe and the anniversary recipe Sling. They were both delicious. Also, S$32. Each. Yeah.

Me, holding the S$32 beverage.