Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura 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, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
