Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe

Legend suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.

This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it better suited for a household setting.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

What's Required

  • 725g blended Scotch
  • 130g simple syrup
  • 6g Angostura bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
  • 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2g xanthan gum

Method

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

To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.

Alexandra James
Alexandra James

Award-winning investigative journalist with over 15 years of experience covering political and social issues across Europe.