Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household setting.
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 bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
