Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale has it that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily poured from pinky to forefinger. As expected, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, defeated the next day. In this way, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. Here, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it easier for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Put everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, mix thoroughly, then put it in the fridge. It will now keep for about three weeks.
When ready to drink, dispense approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
