Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the day after. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
