Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
