Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately â…• tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
