Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 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
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
