Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.