Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the following day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it easier for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
