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

Tale has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.

This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we offer 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

Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.

Ingredients

  • 725g blended Scotch
  • 130g sugar syrup
  • 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
  • 1g orange bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
  • A dash of salt
  • 2g xanthan gum

Method

Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.

To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.

Rita Jenkins
Rita Jenkins

A financial strategist with over a decade of experience in wealth management and investment planning, dedicated to empowering others.