Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
