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

Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a home setting.

Patiala Peg

Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.

Ingredients

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

Method

Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to a few weeks.

When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.

Brianna Stevenson
Brianna Stevenson

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino trends and strategy development.