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

Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.

This take on a kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic setting.

The Patiala Peg Recipe

Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.

You Will Need

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

Method

Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.

For serving, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.