Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
