Cocktail for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.