Newly Restored Long Bar Returns with Refreshed Singapore Sling

Widely regarded as the national cocktail of Singapore, the Singapore Sling returns to the restored Long Bar. Revitalised with elevated ingredients, the iconic cocktail comes back to delight travellers and Singapore with a refreshed taste profile, crafted to suit the modern palate. While the Singapore Sling has been refreshed, it retains its century-old recipe that has remained unchanged from when it was first created in 1915.

Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the refreshed Singapore Sling features Widges Gin that has been created specially for Long Bar. The Singapore Sling’s botanical flavours are played off by the spicy fruity notes of fresh pineapple juice, lime juice, Curaçao and Bénédictine. Its signature pink colour is deepened by cherry liqueur and grenadine, that is made of 100% pomegranate juice and specially created for the Singapore Sling, giving the cocktail a crisp finish is a dash of bespoke cocktail bitters.

Each element of the Singapore Sling is of the highest quality and uses all-natural craft ingredients including: 

The classic pink shade of the Singapore Sling reveals the rich history of its creation. Following the turn of the century in colonial Singapore back in the early 1900s, Long Bar was the place for the community where gentlemen and plantation owners gathered. In those days, etiquette dictated that ladies could not consume alcohol in public and their choice of beverages was limited to tea and fruit juices. Ever insightful, Long Bar’s Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon saw an opportunity and decided to create a cocktail that looked like a fruit juice but was actually infused with gin and other liqueurs. He cleverly masked it in pink to give it a feminine flair, leading people to think it was a socially acceptable drink for women, thus making it an instant hit.

For more than a century, the Singapore Sling has made the legendary Long Bar its home. This is an iconic cocktail that is enjoyed by many around the world and its classic elements have always remained true to its origins but yet always evolving to stay relevant to the taste profiles of its guests. Today, Long Bar and its Singapore Sling experience continue to be a popular destination of choice amongst travellers and a space for engagements, celebrations and novel experiences.

“The refreshed Singapore Sling’s perfect blend of new subtle intricacies coupled with the historical recipe will be a reflection of the restored Raffles Hotel Singapore when it reopens in the middle of 2019. The iconic hotel will retain its distinctive sense of heritage and charming grandeur while presenting elements of freshness and modernity,” said Christian Westbeld, General Manager, Raffles Hotel Singapore.

Long Bar is open daily from 11am to 11pm, with a menu currently kept to a selection of craft cocktails and the beloved Singapore Sling. In keeping with the tradition, guests and visitors can continue to enjoy the simplicity of having peanuts directly from the gunny sack and throw their peanuts shells on the floor as part of the full Singapore Sling experience.