Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It

Legend has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.

This inspired spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household setting.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.

Ingredients

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

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for up to three weeks.

For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.