This is an archive article published on July 11, 2023

This drink makes almost $30,000 for a Singapore hotel daily; know more about its empowering history

Invented in the historic Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, the cocktail soon became known as the national drink of Singapore, according to the hotel's website.

This drink is said to be bringing in the big bucks for the hotel, with them making almost $30,000 revenue from selling this drink daily. (Source: Raffles Hotel Singapore website)

By: Lifestyle Desk

3 min readNew DelhiJul 11, 2023 07:00 PM IST First published on: Jul 11, 2023 at 07:00 PM IST

If you’ve been to Singapore before, you have probably heard of the iconic drink served at the Raffles hotel — the Singapore Sling.

Well, this drink is said to be bringing in the big bucks for the hotel, with them making almost $30,000 revenue from selling this drink daily, according to a report in news.com.au.

Selling roughly 1,000 Singapore Slings per day — each of which costs approximately, $29, a whooping INR 2,400 — the hotel makes more than $30k out of its sales, post adding the service fees and taxes, which makes the cost of the drink about $34.

Invented in the historic Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, the cocktail soon became known as the national drink of the country, according to the hotel’s website.

Served in a tall glass, garnished with a pineapple slice– the drink contains gin, pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine.

Its signature light-pink hue was designed on purpose by the bartender and comes from the grenadine and cherry liquer, which is added into the mix.

Even after many years have passed, the legendary drink is now well-known and also the subject of many recipe recreations on the internet. (Source: Raffles Hotel Singapore website)

According to the website of the hotel, at the time, etiquette rules dictated that women could not drink alcohol in public as it was considered unacceptable.

They could, instead, drink tea or fruit juice in the city in public.

Seeing a market in creating a drink of women, which could pass off as a fruit juice, the bartender Boon saw an opening to devise a cocktail, which could be disguised for the purpose of women’s drinking in public and still be socially acceptable.

This is how the iconic Singapore Sling was born, a cocktail that looked like good old fruit juice, but which actually contained alcohol in it.

Even after many years have passed, the legendary drink is now well-known and also the subject of many recipe recreations on the internet.

ALSO READ | Biryani, Indian Rojak among top eight popular foods in Singapore

Another unusual custom associated with the bar is the practice of serving peanuts to patrons and encouraging them to scatter the shells all over the floor.

Despite the fact that littering is strictly prohibited in Singapore and carries a $1,000 punishment, according to Business Insider, the hotel’s website states that it is the only place where it is “encouraged.”

According to News.com.au, Queen Elizabeth II formerly lodged at the hotel.

In 2006, she visited the hotel for the first time.

The hotel has also hosted famous guests like John Wayne, Liz Taylor, and Michael Jackson.

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