Cocktail This Week: The Patiala Peg – How to Make It
Tale suggests that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English side. For a competitive edge, he threw a grand party the night before the match, at which he offered his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These are famously large four-finger whisky pours, traditionally measured from pinky to index finger. Unsurprisingly, the English players drank too much, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the day after. Thus, the myth of the Patiala peg came to be.
This take on a kind-of Old Fashioned cocktail draws inspiration from that original drink. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made five-litre bottle, but we've adapted the formula to make it more suitable for a domestic kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Produces 1 litre, serving 10-12 drinks.
What's Required
- 725g Scotch whisky blend
- 130g simple syrup
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (about 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (about ⅕ tsp)
- A pinch of salt
- 2g xanthan gum powder
Instructions
Place everything in a large bottle. Include 130g water, stir to combine, then transfer it in the fridge. It can be stored for about 21 days.
To serve, measure out roughly 90ml of the infused whisky into a old fashioned glass containing ice (ideally one large cube). Drink promptly. For a traditional touch, you could measure it in by hand for authenticity.