How hotel bars created Singapore Sling, The Bellini and The Sidecar
Our global edit of iconic tipples and the bucket-list bars that put them on the map.
There’s something incomparable about the allure of the hotel bar. The transience of the space, where revellers come for a night before vanishing, onto the next wondrous destination. The romance woven around the hotel bar lends itself to all kinds of sentiments, from mischievous deeds away from prying eyes to the shared connection between fellow patrons also away from home.
Worldwide, hotel bars have played host to everything from scandals to grand ideation, and perhaps no greater creativity than the invention of the cocktails that, in some instances, exceed the fame of the place in which they were invented. Whether it was the bartender acquiescing to the demands of a regular seeking something “stronger” or the experimenting with new combinations during quieter moments, the hotel bar has been the playground of mixologists for well over a century.
These cocktails are all now known all the world over. But just as wine tastes its best the closer it is drunk to where it was grown, so too is the pleasure of a cocktail enhanced when sipped at the bar in which it was first devised.
Here, six famous drinks whose bars of origin are more than worth your time.
The Singapore Sling
Back in 1915, bartender at the Long Bar in Raffles Singapore, Ngiam Tong Boon, devised this cocktail with the intention of disguising its alcohol content. As many drinks do, the Singapore Sling – a refreshing if potent mix of pineapple juice, grenadine, lime juice, Cointreau, Angostura bitters, gin, Bénédictine, soda water, and a dash of cherry brandy – has now ascended beyond the associations with just the hotel bar. It has come to represent the city-state itself.
Hanky Panky
The Hanky Panky was first invented by Ada “Coley” Coleman, one of only two women to have ever served as the head bartender at the American Bar at The Savoy in London. Coley created the cocktail as a distinguishable take on the sweet martini in the early 20th century, and it became one of her signature drinks. The Hanky Panky consists of equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, with a few dashes of Fernet-Branca, a powerful Italian herbal liqueur believed to have restorative effects. It is typically garnished with an orange twist.
The Bellini
The famed cocktail was created by Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. In the 1940s, Cipriani invented the drink as a tribute to Giovanni Bellini, the Venetian Renaissance painter. It is made by combining white peach purée with prosecco, or Italian sparkling wine. The Bellini’s vibrant colour and refreshing taste has made it a beloved cocktail and synonymous with the now global Cipriani brand.
The Sidecar
The exact origins of the Sidecar, which was first poured in the early 20th century, remain a subject of debate in mixologist circles. Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris stakes a claim, but it is also credited to legendary bartender Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in the City of Lights as well as Pat MacGarry at Buck’s Club in London. Regardless of its origins, the enduring cocktail is a citrusy delight, traditionally made with brandy, orange liqueur (such as Cointreau) and lemon juice and more recently served with a sugared rim.
Rob Roy
The specific origins of the Rob Roy – named after Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor – also remain the subject of conjecture. Some believe it was the creation of a bartender at the Peacock Alley bar in New York’s famed Waldorf Astoria, who reportedly swapped the rye of the Manhattan for Scotch whisky to honour the hero of an eponymous operetta opening on nearby Broadway. The cocktail is typically made with Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters. Think of it as a richer and smokier twist on the Manhattan’s elegant and timeless formula.
The Boulevardier
American-born writer, socialite and editor of humorous literary magazine The Boulevardier, Erskine Gwynne, is credited with first putting together the ingredients for this classic cocktail. Gwynne was a regular at the famed Harry’s New York Bar in Paris and named the creation first poured there after his monthly publication. The Boulevardier is a twist on the classic Negroni and is just as boozy as its gin-based counterpart. It combines bourbon or rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari in equal parts, resulting in a rich and complex cocktail with a bittersweet profile.
