Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about 21 days.
For serving, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
