Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
