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

Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Preparation

Place everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as a few weeks.

To serve, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.