Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's beverage. Here, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
