Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
