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

Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a household environment.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.

When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.