Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
