Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original beverage. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
