Drink for This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
