Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 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 dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
