Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale suggests that back in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his cricket team would triumph over a touring English side. To gain the upper hand, he organized a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are incredibly generous four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being terribly hungover and, consequently, defeated the following day. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of old fashioned takes its cue from that original beverage. In our establishment, we offer it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adjusted the recipe to make it better suited for a domestic environment.
Patiala Peg
Makes 1 litre, serving 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then transfer it in the fridge. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass packed with ice (ideally one big block). Serve promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand instead.
