Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, 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 offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.