Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it easier for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
