Cocktail This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a variation of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.