Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
For serving, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve immediately. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
