Drink This Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, beaten the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. You can store it for as long as a few weeks.
For serving, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
