Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
