Drink of the Week: The Patiala Peg – Recipe
Legend suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was determined that his team would win over a visiting English side. To secure an advantage, he organized a splendid party the night before the match, where he presented his guests the notorious Patiala pegs. These are incredibly substantial four-finger measure whisky pours, historically poured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players overindulged, leaving them extremely hungover and, inevitably, defeated the following day. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This inspired kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail is inspired by Singh's drink. In our establishment, we serve it from a bespoke five-litre bottle, but we've modified the instructions to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
The Patiala Peg Recipe
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 portions.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, mix until fully incorporated, then place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for as long as a few weeks.
To serve, pour roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a short glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Enjoy straight away. If you're feeling traditional, you could measure it in by hand as they did.