Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a big container. Add 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for up to a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
