Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
