Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it easier for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
