Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of old fashioned takes its cue from Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about 21 days.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
