Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
