Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
