Raffles is 120 Years Old

Singapore's grand old dame, Raffles Hotel, celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. Raffles Hotel opened in 1887 in a rather sombre-looking old bungalow known as the Beach House.  Today, it is one of the last great 19th century hotels in Asia. 
 
Declared a National Monument in 1987, the hotel has grown from strength to strength. It was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Over the years the hotel has evolved into one of the world's most beloved grand hotels and welcomed innumerable celebrities, writers and royalty such as Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin.
 
THE SINGAPORE SLING
 
The lavish hotel is not only known for its elegance and excellent standard of service, it is also famous for the Long Bar – home of the Singapore Sling (please see recipe below).  Tradition dictates you throw your peanut shells on the floor. 
 
Raffles Hotel is also where the Singapore Sling was invented. The Singapore Sling was originally created by Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon.  The exact date is still in question, with some people claiming it was in 1915, some 1913, while the hotel itself claims that it was created sometime prior to 1910.  The original recipe was apparently lost sometime in the 1930s, and the drink that they currently serve at the hotel's Long Bar is based on memories of former bartenders, and some written notes that were discovered.
 
Today Raffles Hotel stands as a jewel in the crown of Singapore's hospitality industry, renowned and loved for its inimitable style.

SINGAPORE SLING RECIPE
 
Ingredients:
1 oz gin
1/2 oz cherry brandy
4 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
1/4 oz benedictine herbal liqueur
1/3 oz grenadine syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters 
 
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker, fill with ice and shake until the shaker is well frosted. Strain into a tall glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple and cherry.

26 February 2007