Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would win over a touring English squad. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the next day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about three weeks.
For serving, dispense approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Serve immediately. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
