Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine everything in a big container. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
