Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale has it that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was set that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are notoriously substantial four-finger whisky servings, customarily measured from little finger to forefinger. Predictably, the English players overindulged, resulting in them being terribly the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the following day. In this way, the story of the Patiala peg originated.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by that original beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a bespoke large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the formula to make it better suited for a home environment.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a big container. Add 130g water, mix to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It will now keep for about a few weeks.
To serve, pour about 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Drink straight away. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers as they did.