Asia's contribution to the cocktail world is negligible compared with that of Europe or the United States. But it does have one champion: the Singapore Sling, invented at the Raffles Hotel at the turn of the century by Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. It is still served at the hotel's Long Bar and remains a big draw. The Mixer once had a bleary-eyed, six-hour stopover in the Lion City and headed straight there to try it, only to realise it was 7am and the bar opened at 11am. After a four hour wait, the Sling was duly delivered and quaffed before a mad dash back to Changi airport.
A fairly faithful reproduction can, however, be found at Cafe Deco, the art-deco restaurant and bar on The Peak. The recipe includes the drink's key ingredient, Benedictine, a sweet cognac-based liqueur that includes more than 40 aromatic flavourings such as spices, fruit peel and herbs.
Although Raffles keeps the proportions of each ingredient a secret, Cafe Deco's version is close to the mark, but uses Triple Sec instead of Cointreau.
Cafe Deco has a range of classic cocktails as well as a few signature creations, including the Deco Delight, an unusual-looking drink served in a strawberry-smeared glass.
The Singapore Sling and Deco Delight ($78) are available at Cafe Deco Bar & Grill, Level 1-2, Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak, tel: 2849 5111.
Singapore Sling