Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's drink. Here, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
