Legend has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.