Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he threw a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
