Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Tale claims that in 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the legendary Patiala pegs. These were famously substantial four-finger whisky servings, historically gauged from pinky to index finger. Predictably, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being extremely the worse for wear and, consequently, vanquished the next day. And so, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a variation of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by the Maharaja's drink. In our establishment, we offer it from a specially crafted large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it more suitable for a household environment.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Makes 1 litre, to serve 10-12 people.
You Will Need
- 725g blended scotch whisky
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Instructions
Combine everything in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, stir to combine, then put it in the refrigerator. You can store it for up to 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a short glass containing ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy promptly. To honour tradition, you could use the four-finger measure instead.
