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

Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from that original beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household environment.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.

You Will Need

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

Method

Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.

When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.