Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger whisky pours, customarily gauged from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
For serving, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
