Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put everything in a big container. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
