Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would win over a touring English team. To gain the upper hand, he organized a grand party the night before the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from little finger to index finger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, leaving them terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. Thus, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of old fashioned is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. At the restaurant, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, agitate to combine, then transfer it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as three weeks.
To serve, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass packed with ice (ideally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand as they did.
