Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
