Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
