Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. Here, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
