Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, beaten the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned draws inspiration from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Include 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
For serving, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
