Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's concoction. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
