Singapore Series: Long Bar (Raffles Hotel)
One of the ‘must do’ activities in Singapore, of course include drinking the famous Singapore Sling. You can have a bog standard one in pretty much any bar but any Singaporean person and bartender will agree that the best (and original) is made at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel. Though the hotel is iconic, the drink itself holds it’s own in terms of history and intrigue. Being a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling includes pineapple juice, lime juice, Curaçao, Bénédictine, Grenadine and cherry liqueur. It’s a rosy-orange coloured, very girly looking drink but this was intentional.
Back in Colonial Singapore, Raffles was the place to hang out and the Long Bar was the place to drink. Since it wasn’t common etiquette for women to drink alcohol, a Raffles bartender by the name of Ngiam Tong Boon saw a niche in the market. In 1915 he decided to create a cocktail that looked like fruit juice (with gin and liqueurs) making it a socially acceptable drink for women and from there, the national drink was born! All hail the Boon!
Since this is such an iconic drink and activity to do in Singapore, needless to say, there was a bit of a queue for the bar (this was midweek and in the afternoon by the way). Although 99.9% of the people in the queue were obviously tourists, I couldn’t believe how busy it was for a normally ‘off-peak’ time, such is the status of this bar. However upon joining the queue, it went down pretty quickly due to people coming in for only one drink (Instagram purposes) and then leaving.
Soon we were seated at the famous long bar, of the Long Bar and ordered the Singapore Sling. I would say the majority of people who enter the bar come for the SS and therefore the bartenders are prepared and quick to make it. Whilst waiting, every table has a bag of peanuts which they can tuck into. The most unique thing about this bar is you’re allowed to (in fact, encouraged) to throw the peanut shell on the floor. I didn’t notice it immediately but wondered what this strange crunch was underneath my shoe. Imagine a whole floor covered with peanut shells! The reason it’s so unique is that Singapore is a country that prides itself on cleanliness and it is in fact, against the law to litter. The law is so strict, it is illegal to chew/ buy/ litter gum. So if you suddenly feel the need to litter and throw out your inhibitions, comes to Raffles :)
After our (surprisingly strong) drink, we enjoyed a clumsy afternoon stroll around the hotel. The hotel is so beautiful and the architecture echoes reminders of it’s colonial past. On the hotel grounds, there are a parade of shops where you can shop to your heart’s content and the range of brands are so diverse; from books, makeup, fashion, flowers, to interior design. Hotel amenities also include a spa, cafes and restaurants. If I could live here, I surely would! xo
