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

Tale claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic kitchen.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.

Ingredients

• 725g blended scotch whisky
• 130g sugar syrup
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
• A pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Method

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.

To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.