Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
