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

Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. Here, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Method

Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.

When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.