Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about three weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
