Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned takes its cue from that original concoction. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for up to a few weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
