Singapore’s iconic cocktail the Singapore Sling gets its own day – Singapore Sling Day to fall on 27 June in conjunction with International Pineapple Day.

Singapore’s iconic cocktail the Singapore Sling finally gets its own day named after it. Raffles Hotel Singapore, the legendary home of the Singapore Sling, has declared 27 June – also International Pineapple Day – as Singapore Sling Day.

For those not familiar with Singapore’s national cocktail, the signature Singapore Sling was first created by Raffles Hotel Singapore bartender Ngiam Tong Boon and offered at the Long Bar from 1915. It is a variation of the Gin Sling, a rather versatile cocktail that combines a spirit with some juice (usually lemon), some sweeteners (such as sugar or sugar syrup), and then topped up with water or soda.

The Singapore Sling is, of course, a lot more complicated then a regular Sling – the classic recipe calls for gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Benedictine DOM, grenadine, Angostura bitters, as well as lime juice and pineapple juice (the latter ingredient is most likely why the hotel has decided that Singapore Sling Day falls on International Pineapple Day).

The Singapore Sling offered at the Long Bar a number of years ago received a remake, the new version employing various updated craft ingredients in its composition. Its new Singapore Sling now uses Widges Gin, eschews Cherry Heering for Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco instead, and complemented by Ferrand Dry Curaçao in place of Cointreau. Even the bitters and grenadine have been specially created for Raffles Singapore – ‘Spice Plantation’ Bitters specially created by the Seattle, Washington-based Scrappy’s, and the Crawley’s ‘Singapore Sling’ Grenadine.

Singapore Sling Day
The Singapore Sling, first offered in Singapore’s Raffles Hotel in 1915, finally gets its day – 27 June.

The Long Bar itself got a revamp when Raffles Hotel Singapore completed a major renovation overhaul and reopened on 1 August 2019.

Singapore Sling Day and Slingology

To celebrate the Singapore Sling, Raffles Hotel Singapore will be kicking off Slingology, a year-long initiative that will see them collaborate with some of Singapore’s top cocktail bars.

Exclusively on the last Sunday of each month, a guest bartender will make a special appearance at Long Bar to present their rendition of the Singapore Sling, alongside a few of their own other favourite cocktails. Following this one-day pop up, the Sling-inspired creations will continue to be available for one month until the introduction of the next guest bartender. Slingology will start off with Jason Williams, the creative director of Proof & Company, and the co- creator of Widges Gin. He will be showcasing his twists Pineapple Hospitality and Sling Old Fashioned, which will be available at the Long Bar from 27 June to 24 July 2021.

Other bars in the Slingology lineup include includes two of Asia’s 50 Best Bars – 28 Hong Kong Street from 25 July to 28 August 2021, and grand lobby bar ATLAS from 29 August to 25 September 2021.

To celebrate the inaugural day, Raffles Hotel Singapore is inviting cocktail enthusiasts to drop into Long Bar with a pineapple on 27 June 2021 and exchange it for a complimentary glass of Singapore Sling. Another ongoing promotion is one where guests can enjoy a complimentary Singapore Sling when they order the original Sling or the guest bartender’s inspired spin-off that’s available from now until 31 August 2021.

“The inaugural Singapore Sling Day honours our cherished heritage and the undisputed legacy of the Singapore Sling, an exceptional icon fashioned at Raffles Hotel Singapore that has, much like the storied luxury property, put Singapore squarely on the global map,” said Christian Westbeld, Managing Director, Raffles Hotel Singapore.


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