Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
