Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's concoction. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it easier for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for about a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
