Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe

Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

• 725g blended Scotch
• 130g simple syrup
• 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
• A pinch of salt
• 2g xanthan gum

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.

For serving, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.