Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, vanquished the day after. And so, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's drink. Here, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it easier for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass filled with ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
