Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
