Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
