Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.