Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It

Legend has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky pours, historically poured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.

What's Required

• 725g blended Scotch
• 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
• 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
• A small pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Preparation

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.

To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.