Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.