Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
