Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. Here, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for about a few weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
