Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party the night before the match, where he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, beaten the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's concoction. Here, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
