Cocktail of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
To serve, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
