Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Serve straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
