Who invented the Singapore Sling? That Raffles barman, surely?
As city state marks 50 years, its most famous drink is officially turning 100. But some are convinced its origins date to two years earlier, at least
Singapore is commemorating the 50th anniversary of its independence, and the city state's national drink is also toasting a significant birthday. This year marks the centenary of the Singapore Sling, the cocktail created by a Chinese bartender, at least according to one theory; the history of the tipple is somewhat disputed.
Singapore institution Raffles Hotel is celebrating the pink concoction's birthday, claiming it was created at the hotel in 1915 by barman Ngiam Tong Boon, originally from Hainan. Peter Heering, the maker of Heering Cherry Liqueur - a vital ingredient of the Singapore Sling - is also commemorating the cocktail's 100th this year.
The story has been repeated in articles and books around the world and become cocktail folklore but not everyone agrees.
"The precise date of creation of the world's most famous cocktail is shrouded in mystery. Some say the Singapore Sling, sometimes called the gin sling, was first mixed one hot afternoon in 1915," writes Gretchen Liu in the coffee table tome Raffles Hotel. Liu continues: "Others are equally certain that it was available to thirsty guests at least a decade earlier."
