Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand instead.
