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Dining
Long Bar
Where the Singapore Sling was born
The historic Long Bar is where the Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink, was first mixed in 1915. Today the rich, earthy decor of the two-storey bar is inspired by Malayan life in the 1920s, and the famous counter gleams amid decorative motifs that transport us to a tropical plantation. The menu features classic and signature cocktails and, in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, guests are invited to brush peanut shells off the bar and onto the floor – quite possibly the only place in Singapore where littering is encouraged.
Contact
Hours
Opening Hours
- Sunday to Wednesday 11.00am – 10.30pm (last seating)
- Thursday to Saturday 11.00am – 11.30pm (last seating)
Long Bar is open to walk-ins only.
Experience
Long Bar and the Singapore Sling
In colonial Singapore of the early 1900s, when improved rail and road systems were bringing rubber and palm oil plantation owners to Singapore from Malaya every weekend, Long Bar was located at Cad's Alley. Not a formal bar, but rather tables placed next to each other facing Bras Basah Road, it was known as 'the rendezvous of planters', a good vantage point for watching the world go by.
It was common to see gentlemen nursing glasses of gin or whisky, but etiquette dictated that the ladies could not consume alcohol in public. For the sake of modesty, they were served with teas and fruit juices. In 1915, resourceful Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon decided to create a cocktail that looked like plain fruit juice but was actually infused with gin and liqueurs. Based on gin, it also contains pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine, while grenadine and cherry liqueur give it its rosy pink hue. This deliberately feminine touch, together with the use of clear alcohol, led people to believe the cocktail was socially acceptable for women. With that, the Singapore Sling was born and, needless to say, it became an instant hit.
SUSTAINABILITY
A positive impact on sustainability
A little known fact about this elevated Singapore Sling is the use of ecoSPIRITS, making it more sustainable and better for our environment. Working closely with Proof & Company and ecoSPIRITS, the iconic cocktail has become the forerunner for Raffles Hotel Singapore in its move to reducing single-use waste and carbon footprint. By using the patent-pending ecoSPIRITS technology – Widges Gin, Luxardo Cherry Sanque Morlacco and Ferrand Dry Curaçao, key ingredients in the Singapore Sling, are all delivered to Long Bar in patent-pending ecoTOTE format, saving tens of thousands of glass bottles each year.
Furthering the sustainability profile of the cocktail, both the Luxardo Maraschino Cherries used as garnishes and the exclusive Long Bar Scrappy’s Spiced Plantation Bitters are shipped in large low-waste formats, eliminating several thousand kilograms of packaging waste per year. In addition, the single-use plastic straws have also been replaced with biodegradable versions made withpotato starch.
Estimated using the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, developed by leading consulting firm Deloitte, the Singapore Sling saves the equivalent of 200g of CO2 emission per serving. As the Singapore Sling continues to reduce single-use glass waste and other packaging and service wastes, it continues striving for a positive impact on sustainability. Under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, Raffles Hotel Singapore is planting one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rainforest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered, leaving a permanent legacy of carbon reduction and reforestation of endangered wild areas.