Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Serve straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
