Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, consequently, beaten the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
