Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's drink. Here, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
