Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
