Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are notoriously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we serve it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it easier for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Serve immediately. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
