Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned takes its cue from that original drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it better suited for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
For serving, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass containing ice (ideally one big block). Enjoy promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
