Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's drink. Here, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
