The hotel may have closed its doors for a few months, but Singapore’s favourite cocktail, Singapore Sling is still available at the Pop-Up Long Bar next to the Raffles gift shop.
An institution in itself, Raffles Hotel is an icon of Singapore as much as the Merlion. Launched in 1887 with only 10 rooms, the hotel has constantly evolved over the decades and grown into a grand property that put Singapore on the world hospitality map. Celebrating 130 years of its illustrious existence, the hotel decided to undertake a thorough renovation project in 2017. The three-phased project is now in its final phase and the hotel plans to reopen in mid-2018.
It is also the birthplace of Singapore Sling, the popular cocktail that reminds travellers of the island nation whenever they order it in bars around the globe. Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the iconic cocktail to allow ladies of the time to enjoy alcohol in public. Raffles was a popular spot for gentlemen to enjoy their liquor but propriety did not allow ladies to try anything beyond fruit juices or tea.
Tong Boon saw the potential in the market and concocted this bright red gin-based cocktail with pineapple juice, cherry brandy and other ingredients so that the ladies could sip it unnoticed. In 2012, The Long Bar celebrated the centennial anniversary of the cocktail. A tourist must-do, enjoying a drink at the polished teakwood bar was always like stepping back in time. With the bar shutting down as part of the renovation project, Singaporeans wondered where they would find their fix of Singapore Sling.
But worry not. The Pop-Up Long Bar has all the answers. A small intimate space at 3 Seah Street, right next to Raffles gift shop, you can drop in here for your favourite cocktail or try out one of their other favourites like 1915 Gin and Tonic. Much like the original bar, they also serve peanuts on the side and don’t bat an eyelid when you throw the shells on the floor for nostalgia sake. The pop-up will be open throughout the restoration and will serve customers daily from 11am-8pm.
