Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend has it that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English team. To secure an advantage, he threw a grand party the night before the match, where he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily poured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, beaten the next day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This inspired spin on the old fashioned is inspired by that original drink. At the restaurant, we serve it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a home environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Include 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for up to three weeks.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one large cube). Drink straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
