Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1â…“ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about â…• tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
