Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as 21 days.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
