Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It

Legend claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's drink. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household environment.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

• 725g blended scotch whisky
• 130g simple syrup
• 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
• A dash of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Method

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to three weeks.

To serve, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.