Singapore Sling

Have you ever had a Singapore Sling? It’s a drink that was invented and has been served at the famous Long Bar in the historic Raffles Hotel in Singapore since the early 1900s. Like other foods or drinks named after cities (think Brussels sprouts, Bolognese sauce, Yorkshire puddings), the place is so much a part of the name that you don’t necessarily think about it separately. Such was the case for me with Singapore.

Long before going to Singapore to visit some friends last week, I had tasted a Sling or two. I don’t know what possessed me to order one in the first place, but I recall enjoying it. In one form or another, you need: 1 to 1 ½ ounces of gin, ½ ounce of cherry brandy, ¼ ounce of Cointreau (orange liqueur), ¼ ounce Benedictine herbal liqueur, 1/3 ounce grenadine syrup, 4 ounces of pineapple juice, ¼ ounce of lime juice, and a dash of Bitters. You shake the ingredients together with ice and then strain the drink into an ice-filled glass, garnished with a cherry and a slice of pineapple.

An interesting mix, don’t you think? Funny how you can blow the dust off enough old bottles of alcohol and throw the contents together with juice to get something that tastes so good. Well, Singapore is just like that. Somebody mixed together a bunch of smart people, a blend of very diverse cultures, and a pinch of unusual history and circumstance, then strained it through the tropics and poured it into a tiny glass of an island called the Republic of Singapore.

The result: an interesting mix. It’s young, but very old. Its youth belies its age, for its history is much older than its birth as an independent country. The known history of the island dates back to the 11th century, but its modern history appears to date to the establishment of a prosperous British port by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819. Later, after a stint under Japanese control during WW2, a couple of decades of self-government back under the British, and an experiment in partnership with Malaysia in the early 60s, Singapore became independent in 1965.

Singapore is advanced but ancient. It clings to its traditions. English is spoken everywhere and children must learn it and one other national language (Mandarin Chinese, Malay or Tamil) in school. But slip into the Chinese market downtown, or the local neighbourhood markets and you’ll hear nothing but Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, as well as various dialects of older and newer immigrants. Throughout the year, one can witness a wide-range of celebrations that include the Chinese New Year and mid-Autumn Festival, Tamil Thaipusam, Hindu Deepavali, Buddhist Vesak Day, and Muslim Hari Raya Puasa.

Singapore is conservative, but very creative. The very word “conserve” means to keep; to protect what exists. But Singaporeans are imaginative about this. They have to be; it’s one of the densest countries in the world. As a result, you get a mix of colonial and contemporary. Historic ethnic neighbourhoods, places of worship, and old “bungalow” residences, protected by the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Conservation Master Plan, seem to ruffle around the bases of modern skyscrapers whose height is limited to allow safe air flight but whose design and creativity appears to be unlimited in every way. Buildings bend and lean. They weave and wend. They stretch in various directions. They are spheres and ovals and rockets. They are pale green, or shades or orange. Roofs are multi-tiered, curved, and wavy – a tribute to Gaudi or maybe Dr. Seuss?

Singapore is efficient but charming. The port is like a perfect Lego design: neatly stacked containers form long, straight rows and cranes carefully shift loads here and there in a non-chaotic, almost rhythmic way. Empty cargo ships, whose deep water measures bob above the water, wait for loads out in the open water. Then, you call a taxi, and a weathered gentleman speaking broken English pulls up in a rickety old car, which resembles a Lada for awkwardness and effectiveness, and welcomes you into its sweaty, vinyl depths. Or, at midnight, you order a noodle dish from a hawker stand and sit amongst a crowd of people jabbering in various languages. Or you stumble upon a row of heritage Tudor houses. Or, at the market, you watch a young salesman feverishly gesticulating and comparing various toothpastes, all glued to a flimsy, white poster board.

In short, Singapore is just like its Sling: delicious in every way!