Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale claims that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for up to three weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
