Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
