Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
To serve, dispense approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (traditionally one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
