Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.