Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass packed with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
