Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
