Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a touring English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a spin on the Old Fashioned cocktail takes its cue from that original drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out roughly 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
