Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
