Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
