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

Folklore claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.

This take on a variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a home environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.

To serve, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.