Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 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
Preparation
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
To serve, dispense about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Serve straight away. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
