Cocktail for This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend has it that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his team would win over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, where he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were incredibly generous four-finger whisky pours, customarily measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them terribly hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of old fashioned takes its cue from the Maharaja's concoction. In our establishment, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it easier for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, agitate to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
For serving, dispense roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice (ideally one large cube). Serve immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
