Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for about three weeks.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
