Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to a few weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
