Recently, GM’s from several Raffles Hotels & Resorts around the world met in London at the Sipsmith Distillery in Chiswick to share the latest news from their properties with key UK media. GM’s who attended the event were as follows;
- Thomas Brugnatelli, GM, Raffles Warsaw
- Oliver Dudler, GM, Raffles Le Royal, Phnom-Penh, Cambodia
- Ayman Gharib, GM, Raffles Dubai
- Aaron Kaupp, GM, Raffles Paris, Le Royal Monceau
- Olivier Larcher, GM, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo
Both the GM’s and media attended a private gin tasting of the bespoke Sipsmith Raffles 1915 Gin and celebrated 100+ years of the Singapore Sling with a masterclass at the Sipsmith Distillery in Chiswick, London. The evening was led by Jared Brown, Co-Founder of Sipsmith and Jeannette Ho, Vice President of Raffles Brand & Strategic Partnerships.
A brief history of The Singapore Sling:
The Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink, was first created in 1915 by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling also contains pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine. Giving it the pretty pink hue are grenadine and cherry liqueur. Following the turn of the century in colonial Singapore, Raffles was the gathering place for the community – and Long Bar was the watering hole. It was common to see gentlemen nursing glasses of gin or whisky. Unfortunately for the ladies, etiquette dictated that they could not consume alcohol in public. So, for the sake of modesty, teas and fruit juices were their beverages of choice and hence, Bartender Ngiam deliberately chose to give the cocktail this rosy colour.
Ever insightful, Ngiam thus saw a niche in the market and decided to create a cocktail that looks like plain fruit juice but is actually infused with gin and liqueurs. The clever bartender made the beverage pink to give it a feminine flair which, together with the use of clear alcohol, led people to think it was a socially acceptable drink for women. With that, the Singapore Sling was born. Needless to say, it became an instant hit.
Singapore Sling
Raffles x Sipsmith Collaboration
Sipsmith distilery London – 100 years of the Singapore Sling
