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

Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's drink. Here, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.

When ready to drink, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.