Drink for This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Folklore suggests that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would triumph over a visiting English team. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he presented his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger measure whisky pours, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. As expected, the English players drank too much, leaving them very hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This Punjabi kind-of old fashioned is inspired by Singh's drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a specially crafted five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the recipe to make it better suited for a household kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A small pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a big container. Pour in 130g water, mix to combine, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, measure out approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one large cube). Serve straight away. For a traditional touch, you could use the four-finger measure as they did.
