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

Legend has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a home kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

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

Instructions

Put everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.

When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.