Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
