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

Legend has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.

Ingredients

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

Method

Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.

To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.