Drink of the Week: Ambassadors Clubhouse's Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a touring English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. Here, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about three weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
