Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Legend claims that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were incredibly large four-finger measure whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being extremely hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the recipe to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a big container. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for up to a few weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a rocks glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure for authenticity.
