Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
