Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a home setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
