🔗 Share this article Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It Tale has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated. This inspired variation of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's concoction. Here, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic environment. Patiala Peg Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people. What's Required 725g Scotch whisky blend 130g simple syrup 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp) 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp) A pinch of salt 2g xanthan gum powder Preparation Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as three weeks. For serving, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.