Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a household setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
