A Singapore Sling

Most of you are familiar with the cocktail known as the Singapore Sling. The birthplace of this concoction was The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. This hotel is a beautifully preserved piece of British Colonial architecture tucked inside a walled garden. It is also much more than a hotel.

Upon entering the grounds you feel as if you stepped into a history book. 
Even the doormen are dressed in colonial garb.

As you walk through the grounds you can shop and dine in a relaxed and elegant manner. But there is much more. The grounds are filled with surprising nooks and open spaces filled with fountains and balconies.

There is a beautiful patio bar that just calls to you to sit and sip the evening away.

After strolling through the grounds we made our way to the second story and The Long Bar. Again you can just picture the great writers and finely dressed ladies of the colonial era inhabiting Raffles (although I suspect the ladies did not frequent The Long Bar).

Of course there is no air conditioning, but the room is kept comfortable with the combination of rows of fans moving back and forth across the ceiling and the drink that brought fame and fortune to The Long Bar.

And when I say fortune I mean it. It is the most expensive cocktail I have ever had. The experience of sitting in a "moment in history" made it well worth the price.

We also discovered a new standard in bar food. I highly recommend the signature dish of chicken satays with peanut dipping sauce. Following dinner we strolled back through the property and spent time reading some of the historical markers. Some of the billiard tables and furniture are still the original pieces and others are exact replicas. In the midst of all of the modern high rise luxury hotels, Raffles holds a commanding presence.