Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as a few weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
