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

Legend suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's drink. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.

To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.