Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he threw a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, defeated the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Put everything in a big container. Add 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then put it in the fridge. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Drink immediately. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
