Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set 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 presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original concoction. Here, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
