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

Folklore suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic kitchen.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.

What's Required

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

Method

Combine everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.

For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.