Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It

Tale has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Combine everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about 21 days.

To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.