Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore 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 hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by Singh's concoction. In our establishment, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
For serving, dispense about 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
