Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
