Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe

Legend suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.

What's Required

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

Instructions

Put everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.

For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.