Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
