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

Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's drink. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.

You Will Need

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

Preparation

Put everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.

For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.