Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 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
Preparation
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
