Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Folklore suggests that in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his cricket team would triumph over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically poured from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, inevitably, vanquished the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a household setting.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Add 130g water, agitate until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
