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

Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.

This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.

Patiala Peg

Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.

You Will Need

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

Instructions

Combine everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.

When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.

Christina Miller
Christina Miller

A tech journalist and AI researcher with a passion for exploring how emerging technologies impact society and business.