Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
