Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the day after. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a home setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
To serve, measure out about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
