Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a grand party on the eve of the match, where he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about 21 days.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
