Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.