Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 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. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
