Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original beverage. Here, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for up to three weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
