Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place everything in a big container. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
