Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
