Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
