Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were notoriously large four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, inevitably, defeated the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg was born.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we offer it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as three weeks.
For serving, pour about 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.
