Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the next day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.