Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. Here, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
