Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about three weeks.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
