Gin and Empire: The Surprising Origins of Southeast Asia’s Cocktail Scene

The British played a major role in shaping global alcohol consumption, spreading gin, whisky, and rum to the far reaches of their empire – especially in Asia. However, some drinks were not just introduced but invented or transformed by the East India Company (EIC), a powerful British trading corporation established in 1600 which controlled vast territories in India, China, and Southeast Asia until it was dissolved in 1874. 

The gin & tonic, Pegu Club, and Singapore Sling are direct results of the EIC’s influence in Asia—drinks that likely wouldn’t exist without their presence.

British-style taverns and colonial clubs emerged in major trading hubs, reinforcing the popularity of these drinks among officers, merchants, and elites.

How Gin Became a Popular Spirit Base

Perhaps no spirit is more closely tied to the British Empire than gin. The British loved it so much that it sparked the infamous – and dangerous – Gin Craze of the 18th century. Later, gin became a global traveler as the Royal Navy carried it aboard ships throughout the 19th century, fuelling both morale and empire-building.

While most people are familiar with London Dry Gin (and brands such as Beefeater and Gordon’s), the gin historically favored by the Royal Navy was actually Plymouth Gin – specifically Plymouth Navy Strength Gin. Distilled in Plymouth since the 18th century, it is still produced there today. The term “navy strength” refers to its high alcohol content of around 57% ABV (compared to the typical 40%), which ensured the spirit remained stable during long sea voyages and wouldn’t spoil.

Gin was primarily reserved for officers, as sailors received rum rations instead. And wherever those officers went ashore, gin followed – which is why many of the places where British officers once gathered still have a legacy of gin-based cocktails.

Gin & Tonic: A Colonial Invention in India

The British East India Company was responsible for one of the world’s most famous cocktails: the gin & tonic. In the 18th and 19th centuries, British officers in India faced a constant threat of malaria. The best known treatment at the time was quinine (the flavor of tonic water today), extracted from the bark of the Andean fever tree (cinchona), but it was incredibly bitter.

At the time, quinine was administered as a medicine in alcohol (wine, gin, rum, or local arrack), rather than as part of a cocktail. However, the tonic water of the past was very different from what we have today. Early versions were much more bitter, and weren’t fizzy. Though it was occasionally paired with fizzy water, it was only patented as ‘Tonic Water’ in 1858 in London. 

By 1863, quinine tonic water was advertised across British colonies as digestives, and the first known cocktail using tonic water was paired with ginger brandy in 1863 in Hong Kong. Today’s ‘gin and tonic’ was first mentioned in the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1868, where the drink was imbibed at a horse race afterparty in Lucknow, India.

Modern commercial tonic waters have significantly reduced quinine content and often include added sweeteners and citrus flavoring, making them much milder. This simple yet refreshing cocktail became a favorite colonial drink, eventually spreading back to Britain and the rest of the world.

Gin Pahit: From the Jungles of Malaya

A lesser known gin cocktail that was created in the tropics of British Malaya is the Gin Pahit – basically gin mixed with drops of aromatic bitters and sugar syrup. If you’re an avid reader of Somerset Maugham, then you’ve probably come across this cocktail which was mentioned numerous times during the author’s jaunt throughout British Malaya (including Singapore).

In 1824, a new type of alcohol was created: aromatic bitters, which was touted to be a remedy for seasickness thanks to its recipe of herbs and spices. At the time, naval officers liked to mix their gin with bitters (and sometimes with citrus) for medicinal purposes – and a new cocktail was born.

Gin Pahit was available at Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar until 1985, and also in parts of Malaysia, though nowadays it’s gone out of fashion (probably due to its bitterness). Only a handful of bartenders know of this drink these days, which is more popularly known as Pink Gin (due to its color).

Pegu Club: Cambodia’s Colonial Drink

The Pegu Club is one of the most iconic colonial-era sour-style cocktails in Asia, originating from the exclusive Pegu Club in Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma. The club was established in the late 19th century as a gathering place for British officers and expatriates, and its signature drink—a mix of gin, lime juice, orange curaçao, bitters, and sugar—became a favorite among members. 

The cocktail gained international fame in the early 20th century when celebrated bartending author Harry Craddock included the recipe in his 1930 classic, The Savoy Cocktail Book, describing it as “one that has traveled, and is asked for, around the world.” Its popularity came from its balance of bright citrus and botanicals, which suited the tropical climate and embodied the sophistication of colonial club culture.

Singapore Sling: From Raffles Hotel to the World

The Singapore Sling is perhaps the most famous colonial-era cocktail from Southeast Asia. It was said to be created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender at the iconic Long Bar of Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Originally devised as a gin-based punch-style cocktail, it combined gin, cherry brandy, Benedictine, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and bitters, resulting in a refreshing, tropical drink perfectly suited for the region’s climate. 

The drink became popular among British expatriates and visiting travelers, as it allowed women to partake in drinking while maintaining the appearance of sipping a “socially acceptable” fruit juice — a clever workaround in an era when it was frowned upon for women to drink alcohol openly. 

Over time, the Singapore Sling became an international symbol of Singapore’s colonial heritage and remains a signature serve at Raffles Hotel today.

Punch: The EIC’s Fusion of East and West

Another major alcoholic creation linked to the EIC is punch. While the idea of mixing spirits with citrus and spices already existed in some cultures, the EIC popularized and codified punch as a social drink. British sailors and traders in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia encountered arrack, a local distilled spirit made from coconut, sugarcane, or rice. They began mixing it with citrus, sugar, spices, and water, creating what became known as punch—one of the first widely consumed cocktails.

Punch became particularly popular among sailors, who brought the drink back to England, where it was embraced by aristocratic circles as a communal drink (they were normally served in a “punch bowl”). Over time, as rum became more available through Caribbean trade, it replaced arrack as the primary spirit in many punch recipes. This transition helped punch evolve into the rum-based punches that were favored in Britain and its colonies.

Legacy of the East India Company’s Alcohol Influence

The EIC’s lasting impact on alcohol in Asia can still be seen today, as gin & tonic and Singapore Sling all remain favorites at bars and clubs across the globe.

They were also responsible for the creation of India Pale Ale (IPA), a popular order at many craft beer bars. In colonial India, British traders and soldiers missed their ales, which spoiled during the long voyage from England. Brewer George Hodgson of Bow Brewery solved this by creating a stronger, heavily hopped beer that stayed fresh (hops are natural preservatives). Brewed with lighter malts and higher alcohol (5–7% ABV versus the usual 3–4%), it became known as India Pale Ale because it was made for British drinkers in India.

Though the East India Company ceased operations in the mid-19th century, its influence on alcohol in Asia endures, shaping global drinking trends that persist to this day.