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

Legend suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

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

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.

To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.