Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly large four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 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
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.