Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it easier for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
