Drink This Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend suggests that during 1920, Bhupinder Singh, was adamant that his team would win over a visiting English side. To gain the upper hand, he hosted a splendid party the night before the match, at which he served his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are famously substantial four-finger measure whisky servings, customarily poured from little finger to forefinger. As expected, the English players drank too much, resulting in them being very hungover and, consequently, beaten the day after. And so, the story of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired variation of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've modified the formula to make it easier for a domestic setting.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Add 130g water, agitate to combine, then place it in the refrigerator. It will now keep for as long as three weeks.
When ready to drink, pour roughly 90ml of the Patiala peg mixture into a old fashioned glass filled with ice (preferably one big block). Enjoy immediately. For a traditional touch, you could pour it using your fingers for authenticity.
