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 hues are grenadine and cherry liqueur. Bartender Ngiam deliberately chose to give the cocktail this rosy colour..
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.
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.
HOW TO GET THERE:
* The Raffles Hotel is just next to City Hall MRT Station.
REQUIREMENTS:
The posted coordinates will bring you to the main entrance of The Raffles Hotel. Walk along Bras Basah Road to the side of the hotel and you will come to a flight of stairs to the Long Bar. (See spoiler picture).
1. Along the stairs, there is a mural titled 2015. How many people (excluding the out-of-focus people) are featured in this picture? Let this be A.
2. Send an email to gcraffles8A@gmail.com and replace A with the number derived from the above question. On the subject, put your Geocaching name.
3. Go ahead and Post a picture of yourself, your group or your GPSr at the Raffles Hotel, the Long Bar or enjoying the Singapore Sling although this is not compulsory.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.