Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.