Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Folklore has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a lavish party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally measured from little finger to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired variation of old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. Here, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix thoroughly, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Serve promptly. To honour tradition, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
