[Raffles Hotel and the Singapore Sling]
“Raffles Hotel.” I first learned the hotel's name from Ryu Murakami's novel of the same title, which sat on my family's bookshelf. As a student, I only knew that the hotel featured in the novel was located in the tropical country of Singapore. As an adult, I discovered that this beautiful colonial-style hotel is home to the Long Bar, the birthplace of the Singapore Sling. Raffles Hotel and the Singapore Sling gradually became part of my image of Singapore. Then, this summer, on the final day of my trip, I finally experienced the original Singapore Sling at the Long Bar—accessible even to non-guests.
Raffles Hotel opened on December 1, 1887, as a 10-room establishment by the Sarkies brothers, Armenian entrepreneurs from Isfahan, Persia. Named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the British diplomat and father of modern Singapore, the hotel quickly gained fame for its grandeur and charm. It became a sophisticated gateway to the Orient, attracting the world's elite and cultural figures. After opening, it underwent numerous expansions, eventually developing into what was once called “the most magnificent building east of the Suez Canal.”
In 1915, the iconic Raffles Hotel cocktail, the Singapore Sling, was born. Its creator was Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender from Hainan Island. At the time, it was frowned upon for women to drink alcohol in public. He developed a cocktail that looked like fruit juice, so “ladies could enjoy it comfortably in company.” Originally called the “Gin Sling,” this elegant red cocktail had a sweet, easy-drinking flavor. It soon gained popularity under the name “Singapore Sling” and spread rapidly around the world.
We visited the Long Bar just after 5 PM, when the afternoon heat lingered. Following the signs, we climbed the stairs to the bar on the second floor. The walls displayed photos and explanations detailing the hotel and cocktail's history. We admired these as we approached the Long Bar step by step. Though we'd heard this popular spot could have waits of over an hour and a half during busy times, luckily on this day, it seemed we'd only have to wait a little while. The view from the second-floor corridor of the orange roof and pure white exterior walls was filled with classical beauty, making the visit worthwhile just for that sight alone. After waiting in line for about five minutes, we were finally guided to a table seat on the third floor.
Inside the bar, green wallpaper met a modern floor design, while ceiling fans inspired by southern islands gently circulated air. Hotel guests and tourists from around the world enjoyed the Long Bar in their own way. We ordered Singapore Slings and Raffles Hotel's original beer. A heaping bowl of shelled peanuts in a burlap sack sat on our table. The bar's custom is to simply drop the shells onto the floor. Every time someone walked by, the crackling sound of shells breaking somewhere created a unique atmosphere special to this place. It made perfect sense that most patrons were ordering Singapore Slings—reportedly 800 to 1,200 are sold daily, accounting for 70% of the bar's revenue. The Singapore Sling that arrived carried a sweet aroma reminiscent of tropical fruits. Its taste was fruity and juicy, ending with a faint bitterness. Its sunset-like red hue overlapped with the Singapore sunset that writer Somerset Maugham, a regular at the hotel, called “the mystery of the Orient,” making me truly feel this was a cocktail steeped in history and stories.
Raffles Hotel celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1987 and was designated a national monument by the Singapore government. After extensive renovations, it reopened in August 2019 with new bars, restaurants, and social spaces. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, it remains a tranquil oasis that lets guests forget the city's hustle and bustle, captivating many visitors today. The Singapore Sling, too, continues to be cherished in bars worldwide over a century after its creation. Having tasted the original Singapore Sling in a hotel steeped in over a hundred years of history, I suspect that for some time to come, whenever I encounter a red sunset somewhere, I'll fondly recall that tropical fruit-scented cocktail I drank that day.
Raffles Hotel
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eqorP4VXb4umQoj46
References
https://www.raffles.com/ja/singapore/about/#timeline-item-fe4442c4da
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%83%95%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9B%E3%83%86%E3%83%AB
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AC%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%83%AA%E3
