Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English squad. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's beverage. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
For serving, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
