Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – Recipe
Tale claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party on the eve of the match, at which he offered his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically measured from pinky to forefinger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, beaten the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg was born.
This take on a kind-of old fashioned draws inspiration from that original drink. Here, we offer it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the instructions to make it more suitable for a household environment.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Place everything in a large bottle. Pour in 130g water, stir until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for about a few weeks.
When ready to drink, pour about 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a short glass filled with ice (traditionally one big block). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers instead.
