It Tastes Pink: Experiencing the Singapore Sling

As part of the celebrations for a friend's 35th birthday, a group of us head to the famous colonial-style Raffles Hotel to try the equally, if not more, famous Singapore Sling, a gin cocktail. Tucked back on one side of the hotel's outer square, well away from the lobby, is the Long Bar, the birthplace of the Sling. After climbing a nondescript staircase to the second floor and entering through the bar's glass doors, we step back in time to the colonial era. Well, it feels like the colonial era except for all the tourists and the blaring live music pouring down the spiral staircase in the middle of the bar. The interior of the Long Bar is white with wooden shutters and richly toned dark wood bars on both floors. Upstairs, bamboo ceiling fans, which seem too small for the size of the room, undulate back and forth in a mesmerizing manner. The room is crowded with silky wooden tables and chairs. The vibe is both anticipatory and vacation-esque.

Peanut shells crunch under our feet as we are lead to our table.We settle in and our Singaporean friend begins eating peanuts and throwing the shells around like a delighted child. She throws them at us, tosses them over her shoulder, and flings them on the floor with gusto. All I can guess about this strange behavior is that it must be because of all the strict no littering laws here. Then, we order our drinks, trying to shout over the deafening, eclectic live music. Although there are seasonal Slings and an 1887 sling, almost all seven of us go with the "original" Singapore Sling. 

A few minutes later, the drinks arrive. The original Singapore Sling comes in a fluted glass. Ice cubes bob in the glass, surfacing through a thin layer of white froth on top of a uniformly pink concoction. A cherry and a pineapple on a plastic skewer garnish the drink. The first sip is smooth and cool with only a slight hint of the alcoholic after sting. It tastes like the color it is - two shades shy of true hot pink. It contains several ingredients which include cherry brandy, pineapple juice, and lime juice. They muddle together and taste like a delightfully sweet fruit punch.  The Sling goes down easy, but at about SGD$30 (USD$22.50) per drink, one is more than enough.