Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
