Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about 21 days.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
