Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for up to three weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
