Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Tale claims that back in 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger measure whisky servings, historically measured from little finger to index finger. As expected, the English players partook excessively, leaving them terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we present it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
Ingredients
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, agitate thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. You can store it for as long as 21 days.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (traditionally one big block). Serve promptly. If you're feeling traditional, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
