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

Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it better suited for a home setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Preparation

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.

For serving, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.