Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
