Sipping Singapore Slings at the famed Raffles Hotel in Singapore!

“Would you like me to clear the table for you, madame?” With one swoop of his arm he brushed the peanut shells off the table and they fell to the growing pile on the floor. I stared at the waiter with mild horror and walked towards my seat crunching the peanut shells under my feet. Did he really just do that?

I had come to the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel for the same reason everyone else does; to sip on a Singapore Sling in the very hotel where the drink was invented in the early 1900s.

Inside the bar was dark and inviting. Palm shaped fans created a cooling breeze, while guests from around the world leaned back in wicker chairs and enjoyed their pink drinks in hand – everyone in the room was sipping a Singapore Sling.

I scanned the room and noticed that piles of peanut shells were littered around the chairs and the tables at the Long Bar.

What was the meaning of this?

It was too messy to be careless behaviour…was there a tradition behind it all?

Our Experience Drinking A Singapore Sling At The Raffles Hotel

I got up to take a few photos and that’s when I noticed the sign:

Quite possible the one place in Singapore where littering is actually encouraged. Never would we suggest you break the law. But at the Long Bar at Raffles, feel free to brush your peanut shells onto the floor… 

Apparently the Long Bar is one of 18 unique establishments at the Raffles Hotel where breaking culinary rules is the norm. It’s only at the end of the day when the bar is ready to close that the peanuts shells are finally swept away.

While no one can say for sure when or why this tradition originated, my guess is that the waiters got tired of sweeping the floor 50 times a day and behold a new tradition was born!

When the waiter returned with the menu, I was in for a bit of a shock. I gulped as I read the price:

Singapore Sling…………….$27

The Singapore Sling Is Expensive

But here I was, sitting at the Long Bar. In the Raffles Hotel. In Singapore. I ordered one up and thought to myself, people in Manhattan are probably paying a lot more for a drink in the city on a Friday night – let’s do this!

Minutes later my drink appeared in a hurricane shaped glass – a punch of pink with a foamy top, garnished with a Maraschino cherry and a slice of pineapple.

It was my first Singapore Sling ever. I may not be a cocktail expert – I certainly can’t distinguish brandy from gin – however, I can’t think of a better place to enjoy this classic.

My only regret is that I didn’t make it to any of the other 18 bars and restaurants where you’re allowed to toss food on the ground. It looks like I have a good reason to come back to Singapore now!

Making the Most of Your Raffles “Sling Experience”

Why the Sling Was Born in the First Place

In 1915, Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender at Raffles, found himself mixing in a society where ladies were expected to sip tepid tea or fruit juice whilst the men nursed tumblers of neat gin. Boon’s stroke of genius? A sweet, blush-pink cocktail that looked innocuous enough to pass Victorian scrutiny. Yet packed a respectable juniper punch. Grenadine and cherry liqueur provided the coy color; gin supplied the kick. The result was christened the Singapore Sling. And it quickly became the “ladylike” loophole for expats and debutantes wanting something stronger than lemonade.

Tip: Today’s house recipe is actually a 1980s recreation using historic ledgers. Ask the barman to see the framed original—kept behind the counter like a museum artifact.

Unpacking the Price Tag

Yes, S$27–S$32 (with service + GST) feels steep, but you’re paying for three things:

1. The venue – A National Monument where Sommerset Maugham plotted short stories over G&Ts.

2. The glass – A hurricane goblet you’re allowed to keep if you purchase the premium “Collectors’ Sling” at S$38 (they box it for onward flights).

3. An all-you-can-crack peanut buffet – sound silly, but you will absent-mindedly demolish half a kilo while queueing.

If you simply want to taste the drink minus the colonial theatrics, bars along nearby Purvis Street pour reliable S$15 slings. But none give you straw-fan ceilings or peanut-shell ASMR.

The Peanut-Shell Mystery—Two Possible Origins

1. Swamp Cooler Method – Early 1900s Singapore was muggy; cane-rattan floors got slick. Ground-up shells supposedly absorbed spilt drink and condensation, acting like kitty-litter.

2. Status Signal – Littering peanut husks in a land of draconian fines showcased Raffles’ posh immunity. “We’re so grand, the rules don’t apply inside these teak shutters.”

Whatever the truth, staff encourage you to join in—so channel your inner Gatsby and toss with abandon.

Know Before You Go

What Else to Do at Raffles Once the Glass Is Empty

1. Raffles Boutique – Next to lobby. Sniff the “Tiffin Room Tea” candle and browse travel trunks monogrammed with the hotel’s 1887 crest.

2. Heritage Gallery – Free mini-museum tucked behind the grand staircase. Photos of Charlie Chaplin, Karl Lagerfeld sketches, and Ngiam Tong Boon’s safe where he allegedly stashed recipe notes.

3. Writers Bar – Quieter cocktail hideout where each season a new author curates the menu (recently Pico Iyer). Perfect for a nightcap Boulevardier.

4. Tiffin Room Curry Buffet – Iconic North-Indian spread served in brass tiffins. Lunchtime seatings often sell out; reserve days ahead.

5. Evening Palm Court Stroll – Post-renovation, the inner courtyards are reserved for residents by night, but security will sometimes wave you in if you ask politely and keep your camera discreet.

Recreating the Sling Back Home

Craving more than a pricey memory? Try this version, closest to the “1915 Original” scrawled in Ngiam’s notebook:

• 30 ml London dry gin

• 15 ml Cherry Heering liqueur

• 7.5 ml Cointreau

• 7.5 ml Bénédictine

• 10 ml grenadine

• 10 ml fresh lime juice

• 60 ml pineapple juice (Sarawak variety if possible for thicker foam)

• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake hard with ice until frothy, strain into hurricane glass, garnish with pineapple spear & maraschino cherry. Optional: swap grenadine for house-made pomegranate syrup to cut sweetness.

Pairing snack: Satay skewers with peanut sauce will echo those Long-Bar shells and keep the tropics vibe going.

Other Quirky Bars Around the Globe If You Love Traditions

If shell-tossing appealed to your inner child, start planning that around-the-world bar bucket list.

Is It Worth the Hype? A Balanced Verdict

The Upsides

• Bucket-list ambience; palm fans and Peranakan tile transport you to another era.

• Bartenders pour with precision—no saccharine tourist shortcut here.

• Peanut ritual + colonial jazz soundtrack = killer Instagram story.

The Downsides
– Pricey; a couple might spend S$65 after tax/service for two drinks.
– Always busy; you’ll wait 10-20 minutes Thursday–Saturday.
– Purists argue the sling is sweeter than modern craft-cocktail palates prefer.

My Take: Go once for the lore. Then explore Singapore’s current cocktail royalty—Atlas, Jigger & Pony, Native—where originality rivals any 1915 classic.

Mini-Itinerary: Half-Day Colonial-Core Jaunt

1. 14:00 – Start at National Gallery rooftop for skyline shots and a pre-drink kopi.

2. 15:30 – Walk Bras Basah Road, pop into St. Andrew’s Cathedral and CHIJMES cloisters.

3. 16:15 – Duck into Raffles Arcade for boutique browse; 17:00 sling at Long Bar (shorter queue).

4. 18:30 – Stroll to Esplanade via underpass; catch golden-hour views over Marina Bay.

5. 19:30 – Hawker dinner at Lau Pa Sat—$4 satay vs. $27 sling evens the ledger!

Cheers, or as the locals say—Yam Seng! 🍍🍒🥂

Have you ever had a Singapore Sling?
Have you been to a bar or a restaurant with any quirky traditions?