Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. Here, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for about three weeks.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
