Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 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 big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
