Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
