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

Legend has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.

This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by Singh's concoction. Here, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a domestic environment.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

You Will Need

• 725g Scotch whisky blend
• 130g simple syrup
• 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
• 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
• A dash of salt
• 2g xanthan gum powder

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to 21 days.

To serve, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.