Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original concoction. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
