Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it better suited for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
