Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
