Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
