Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
