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

Folklore suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a household kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

What's Required

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

Method

Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about three weeks.

To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.