Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend has it that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was set that his team would win over a visiting English squad. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the following day. Thus, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to a few weeks.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
