Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Folklore claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would succeed over a visiting English team. For a competitive edge, he threw a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are notoriously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, traditionally gauged from little finger to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players partook excessively, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original concoction. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it easier for a household setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir thoroughly, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to three weeks.
For serving, pour approximately 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (preferably one large cube). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.
