Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
