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

Folklore claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.

This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a household setting.

Patiala Peg

Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

What's Required

  • 725g blended scotch whisky
  • 130g simple syrup
  • 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
  • 1g orange bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2g xanthan gum powder

Method

Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about 21 days.

When ready to drink, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.

Katie Peters
Katie Peters

A passionate casino enthusiast with over a decade of experience in online gaming and slot analysis.