Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would succeed over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. Here, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
